Egg Belly
by Cloverfield
Summary: As most things do, it started with sex. Of course, there was more to it than that, but the thing everyone remembers is that there was sex involved at one point or another. Involving Setsuna, Konoka and the class of 6A. Part Twelve now up!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima is not mine. If it were, Setsuna would suffer from a permanent nosebleed.

**PREFACE:** quite possibly pure crack. Derived from my girlfriend wondering aloud whether Setsuna would act like a typical bird during mating season (i.e madly attracted to shiny things and prone to swoop) if Konoka managed to get pregnant.

Which, or course, led to wondering how Konoka would get pregnant in the first place...

Ye gods. Cloverfield, attempting humour, and multipart humour at that. Run and hide.

* * *

**Egg Belly.

* * *

**

**Part One

* * *

**

_As most things do, it started with sex. Of course, there was more to it then that- all sorts of things had happened to make it possible, and there were many, many relationship-related problems and good-natured shenanigans from their friends to deal with, but the thing everyone remembers is that there was sex involved at one point or another.

* * *

_

_This part, at the very least, starts with a kiss._

_It wasn't a very unusual kiss, being very similar in motivation and execution to any number of kisses performed anywhere else in the world. The circumstances were quite possibly unique, though, and it was certain to the two participants involved and their two and a half watchers, it was somewhat special._

She draws back, trembling with the thrumming of power. Her fingers touch her lips. Konoka is smiling, and her heart beats faster still. She can still feel that press of soft lips on her mouth-

"See, Ane-san? That wasn't nearly as hard as you thought it was now, was it?" chuckles Chamo, counting out wads of vaguely transparent ermine dollars, becoming more real as the seconds pass.

She's not blushing yet, although Setuna can feel the hot snake of blood rising past her collar.

To kiss her ojou-sama so, and in front of _people_!

Well, admittedly, Asuna looked only politely interested and Negi was too busy being... well, _Negi_ to understand the significance of the moment, but Chamo seemed to want to make it as perverted as only the small creature could.

But Konoka was smiling at her. _Smiling_, with that look in her eyes that made her stomach twist, her body shiver, and Setsuna melted a little inside.

The rose glow that surrounded them was fading, so too the circle, and she could feel reality seeping back in, pulling her away from that intoxicating magic- but that didn't matter.

Only the kiss did.

At least until, with a hissing 'pop!' the cards appeared. Konoka squealed in delight and snatched hers out of the air, Setsuna letting hers float down to her.

"Look! Asuna, I've got a card of my own now!" chirped Konoka, jumping up and down in an excited, squirming dance. "I've got a card of my own and it's with Set-chan!"

"Hey, stand still- I wanna see too, y'know-"

Even Negi seemed excited, whipping out his cards to see the differences between their pactio's.

"Makes you feel like a collector's item, huh babe?" smirked Chamo, smoking a so-called "fake" cigar.

Setsuna, mustering all the dignity she could whilst turning the colour of a tomato, ignored him, turning her card over, and over in her hands. Strange, that it had felt so different from the rushed pactio with Negi. Strange that this pactio would feel so _good_...

Feeling eyes on her, Setsuna turned to see the red-head glance meaningfully in her direction. She could almost _feel_ the sweat start beading on her brow.

"Well, now that you've done this, wouldn't taking the girl out on a date seem like the _proper_ thing to do?" asked Asuna quietly. "You've already kissed her once, and if you're just not interested, wouldn't it be unfair to string her along? I'd let her know how you felt if I were you."

Setsuna shifted a little, feeling uncomfortable, but didn't get the chance to answer.

"Set-chan?"

"Hm?" Setsuna, looking around, flushed even harder at the way Konoka was watching her.

"I'm glad I made this pactio with _you_, Set-chan. Come on! Let's go show Eva-chan! I'm sure she'd want to see the cards!"

"But, but ojou-sama-"

Being dragged out the door in her pyjamas by an overly hasty Konoka, Setsuna was too preoccupied to notice the cheers and whoops of Asuna and Negi, clapping hands together in victory.

"Hooray! Finally, Asuna-san! We got them to pactio!"

Chamo, still counting his money, smirked, tallied up the total in his head. Minus wear and tear on chalk, it still came up to a healthy amount...

And stopped.

If he could get this much from ..._sponsoring_ a probationary pactio, how much more could he earn from a _permanent_ pactio...?

Perhaps he ought to have a word or two regarding a certain young lady to a reluctant samurai...

"_Setsuna-san likes Konoka-san, Setsuna-san likes Konoka-san!"_

Whap.

"_I think that's pretty damn obvious, Negi."_

"_B-but you didn't have to hit me, Asuna..."

* * *

_

To everyone else watching, namely Asuna, Negi and Chamo (not including the two sparrows perched outside the window), it wasn't really that surprising the next sunny Saturday morning during breakfast when Setsuna worked up the courage (read: grew a pair) and asked Konoka to the movies- admittedly in a very loud voice, coloured the shade of overripe tomatoes and very, very quickly whilst standing ramrod straight.

In fact, she'd fainted before Konoka had answered, but of course the girl was going to say yes, anyway.

And so it was, a very proud Asuna found herself discreetly watching when a half-stunned half-demon had shown up to collect her ojou-sama.

(Who, of course, had squealed with joy as soon as Setsuna had left, and spent the rest of the day organising a suitable outfit, washing and straightening her hair, co-ordinating her nail polish with both her handbag and her underwear, learning ancient Greek and re-tiling the bathroom and all the other things that girls tended to do before an important date.

Asuna was impressed with the length of effort Konoka had gone to, even joining in with Negi to agree that she looked "Very lovely, Konoka-san."

"Yeah, that top really suits you, and it goes nice with the skirt. You're gonna knock her socks off, girl!"

Konoka winced a little at the hearty slap on the back, but was thrilled none the less.

"She did say we were have dinner before hand, but you don't think I'm too overdressed, Asuna?"

The redhead snorted.

"Konoka, I wouldn't be surprised if your _dear Set-chan_ shows up in a tux! She was stammering like she wanted to ask you to marry her, not just ask for a date!"

"Oh Asuna, that's mean! Set-chan's just shy!" scolded Konoka. "and besides, you know if she asked me to marry her I'd say yes," she added, giggling.)

"Now Setsuna," snapped the red head to a bewildered half-demon, "you're to have her back by eleven-"

"Asuna!" interjected Konoka, flushing pink,

"-and not a minute later. And if her lipgloss is as so much as smudged-"

"ASUNA!" protested Konoka, now a dull red,

"-I'll know who to blame, and you can rest assured it won't just be me after you, but Negi as well."

"_Asuuuunaa!_" wailed Konoka, "you're scaring Set-chan! If you keep going on like this, I'll never go out on another date!"

At this, Asuna grinned. And winked.

"Kidding, kidding- go on you two, and have a great time! Now go!" and the last with a firm, but well-meaning push out the door, and the two found themselves in the hallway.

Setsuna shuffled from foot to foot a little, then flushed, but managed to meet Konoka's eyes.

"Um," she said, swallowed, and started again. "C-C'mon, ojou- um, Kono-chan. The movie starts at eight, and we've still got to have dinner yet."

Konoka smiled, and instead of blushing, Setsuna found herself feeling a little calmer, a little less nervous.

It's funny what the smile of someone you love can do for you.

"Okay, Set-chan," chirped Konoka, slinging her handbag onto her shoulder and twining her fingers through the other girl's, "whenever you're ready."

Setsuna smiled.

She knew this had been a good idea...

* * *

She just _knew_ this had been a bad idea! If she wasn't accidentally spilling soy sauce on her ojou-sama's skirt, she was tripping over and cracking her head on a signpost –the bruise now a brilliant purple, and in the shape of an inverted R-

(well, that wasn't _that_ bad, admittedly. It had hurt, but half-demons heal fast, and the pain and humiliation was most definitely worth the kiss on the forehead)

-and now, some... some... some _man_ had to decide to be clever!

A treacherous thought whispered that although_ you're not supposed to bring weapons to movie theatres, think how much _easier_ this would have been if you'd had brought Yuunagi..._

"C'mon, sweetheart, ditch the shorty, and I'll show you what a real man can do."

Konoka, arm still about Setsuna's, stumbled back a bit from the alcholic miasma that washed over them from the greasy, haphazardly-dressed figure blocking their path. Setsuna repressed the urge to gag, and, at the same time, resisted the temptation to slit the man from neck to kidneys with the jingling keys in her pocket.

Murdering misguided suitors on one's first, _official_ date was not the way to impress the object of one's affections...

Unfortunately.

"Set-chan isn't short." Snapped Konoka, drawing herself upright regally. "She's of an acceptable height for a woman her age."

_Oh hell._

"Woman, eh?" leered Mr. Charming. "Well I say the two of you should come with me, an' I'll show some things that only a _man_ can do... you got a problem with that shortcake?"

Well, okay, maybe she didn't dress very femininely- short skirts, whilst easy to move in, just weren't her thing. And yes, though she was wearing pants, they were _women's_ pants, well tailored and of a damn finer cut than whatever the hell that guy was wearing-

And to be called..._shortcake!?_

Konoka, whilst unaware of her loved one's thoughts, nevertheless could tell something was wrong with her dear Set-chan. Her fists were clenched, her cheeks were flushed and she just seemed plain unhappy. That and the blue vein throbbing on her left temple were very good indicators that someone was going to be hit with something sharp and pointy.

She had an inkling it wouldn't be her.

"-so whaddya say, huh, sweetcheeks-"

(If Mr. Drunken Charming hadn't pinched Konoka's cheek, and hadn't closed his grimy, grubby mit about her wrist, the following events wouldn't have happened.

Probably.)

"_You will not touch the ojou-sama!"_

_Kilometres away and under the bed, wrapped in soft cloth and most certainly still an inanimate object, Yuunagi still heard her master's call. And rose, mere cloth wrappings not enough to stop irresistible force, and shimmered like moonlight on still, star-strewn water. And vanished._

_And reappeared in her hands, jacket fluttering loose and wings burst forth in a feathered rush of air, blade catching the shine of streetlights like honey on a spoon, the air tearing into a blue arc as the blade swung-_

The drunk fell, fingers briefly catching on Konoka's sleeve before thumping onto the ground.

His chest rose and fell with a rasping snore.

Perhaps the soaring blade had been a dream. Perhaps it had not.

At any rate, here they were. Setsuna stepped over (onto, foot crunching into the unfortunate drunk's face with all the force she could muster) the body, and lifted her hand up to take Konoka's.

Their eyes met, and Konoka smiled her special smile, the one she didn't get to see very often, where her nose crinkled up a little and her eyes half-closed and her soft mouth formed into a sweet curve of perfection.

Setsuna was very literal-minded, but that didn't mean she couldn't see poetry in the world from time to time.

Her fingers brushed against her own rough, calloused ones. The sword was no where to be seen. The brunette let herself be helped over the prone figure. They stood still for a moment.

"We'll miss the movie if we dawdle any longer, Kono-chan."

"I know! C'mon, then!"

They walked on, the stars twinkling merrily above them, and, unnoticed –understandable on Konoka's part, as she was never that observant, and even more so on Setsuna's (Konoka's top was low cut enough to be barely legal)- a dark figure lurked behind them.

There was a glimmer of light off glass. It could have been a reflection off a windscreen of a parked car, or maybe not.

Unseen, in the dark, their stalker grinned.

* * *

"Oooh- You got me buttered popcorn! Thankyou, Set-chan!"

Setsuna was blushing, that was easy enough to see, although Haruna had to wonder why the girl had chosen this particular movie to take her date to, of all the choices available to her.

Although, a movie _was_ a good choice for optimal gropeage, and a horror one even better. After all, who knew where one could 'accidentally' place one's hands whilst pretending to be scared...?

Mind reeling with all the doujinshii possibilities, Haruna hastily wiped the fog off her glasses.

This was real life, not a yuri manga! Though if she was very, very lucky, it might turn out like one...

_Gah! Hold it in, girl! Just hold on, see if those two do anything interesting, and maybe you'll have enough "inspiration" to churn out a good-looking doujinshi or two. For your own personal use, of course..._

When the lights dimmed and the previews began to roll, she found herself having to lean forward and squint to see if anything was going on- not that anything was; Konoka just seemed happy to chat with Setsuna about whatever popped into her cute, but air-brained head, and Setsuna was content to listen.

Eventually the movie started, and fifteen minutes in for covert operation _Gilded Lily: See The Girls Kiss_ (or _G.L.S.T.G.K_ for short), seemed like a sure-fail.

At least, until Sakurazaki hastily looked around –forcing Haruna to crouch down in a sticky puddle of spilt soft-drink- and tried the old 'Yawn-and-Hug'. Suprisingly, Konoka didn't see through it, and let the shorter girl rest her hand tentatively across her shoulders.

_Well, whaddya know? Shorty here has at least heard about the main reason people take their dates to movies- to deviously feel them up, of course._

At least Konoka seemed to be letting her. Haruna sat back and tried to open a packet of popcorn as quietly as possible. Apart from the lovebirds, she was the only one in the theatre and she didn't want Setsuna the Suspicious figuring out she was here. After all, she'd seen the girl's combat skills first hand, and didn't particularly feel like being on the pointy end of her sword.

'_Pointy End of Her- no, His Sword', huh? Good name for a yaoi samurai comic. Must keep that in mind for later..._

Thrity minutes in, and apart from the little shrieks and screams that came from the Konoe girl every time the mutant alien zombies came on screen, not much seemed to be happening.

Until the crafty little minx tried the old 'Shriek-and-Cling'.

"Aaah! Monster! I'm scared, Set-chan-", and even in the dark, Haruna just knew she'd gone for gold and launched herself at the other girls' chest. "Hold me, Set-chan," she pleaded, dark head dangerously close to Setsuna's own, "I don't know if I can watch the rest of the movie without your help."

Haruna marvelled at her. Crafty little minx was right! She'd made them –well, Setsuna, anyway, not knowing that Haruna was here- believe she was just a dumb bimbo who knew nothing about dating, and here she was, pulling out one of the trickier techniques in the book!

(The thought that Konoka could have been genuinely scared of the thirty-metre tall radioactive monster hadn't even crossed Haruna's mind, and was so frightened of the perverted things it had seen there, it didn't look likely to either.)

Setsuna, for her part, flushed a red so bright it was nearly incandescent above the dim, flickering gloom, shrieked "Wah! Ojou-sama!" and cautiously edged her arms around the other girl, trembling like a virgin in a porn flick.

_Yeees! Go kendo girl! Now when she freaks out at the rain of bloody mutant eyeballs _–Haruna having seen this movie twice before and knowing every potential-grope spot- _go for the kill!_

Of course, that was ten minutes before the end, so she had a fair bit of Z-grade Technicolour drek to wait through.

_Oh well_, shrugged the bespectacled voyeur, _at least I have chocolate_.

One hour and twenty-two minutes in, she was losing hope again. The chocolate was all gone, and operation _G.L.S.T.G.K_ looked like it was coming to an anti-climactic close.

"Well, at least they snuggled up a little," she murmured, no where close to being heard over the on-screen screeching of the undead martian horde, "if no one actually _kissed_ anyone..."

"Oh, Set-chan, even though I don't like this movie very much, I'm glad I came with you!" whispered Konoka in that peculiar way of hers, meaning that anyone in a three-mile radius could hear.

Feeling suddenly hopeful, Haruna leaned forward, watching their sillohuetes eagerly. _That sounded like a build-up line if ever there was one!_

"K-Kono-chan," and Setsuna, trembling like a true tsundere at an anime convention, went shockingly still as Konoka reached for her-

_Oh, here we go!_, though Haruna, trembling herself, although in anticipation-

-placed her hands about her neck-

_Five... four... three..._

-leant forward, drew a deep breath, and-

_Two... one..._

-kissed her, most likely passionately, considering how sword-girl's arms were flailing about, before coming to rest on Konoka's hips.

_LIFT OFF! And operation G.L.S.T.G.K is a go-go! I can't wait to get home and sketch this!

* * *

_

It was darker now, and the stars much brighter, and though the night air was very cool, Setsuna's cheeks felt very hot, and so did the hand that clutched at hers.

"That was a pretty scary movie, ne Set-chan?"

She found herself nodding, only vaguely aware of what Konoka was saying, the memory of her ojou-sama's mouth still pressed to hers-

No, her Kono-chan, now. _Her_ Kono-chan.

If Setsuna hadn't been so intently focused at the flush of protective, loving feelings spilling up through her, she would've noticed the dreamy smile Konoka sent her way.

"Oh, we're here, Set-chan."

A little stunned to find herself in the dorms so quickly, something like a little knot tightened in her stomach.

_It's time to go already? But... I..._

They stopped at the base of the staircase. It was late, so only the hall lights were on, and in the warm gloom, she felt Konoka smile at her.

"Set-chan... I'm glad you asked me to the movies. I'm really, really glad. And...," she stopped, blushed, and Setsuna thought she was the cutest thing she'd ever seen, "and I'm even gladder you said yes to making the pactio with me. I know it was a week ago, but it still makes me happy."

She shuffled her feet a little, and Setsuna felt a shiver of awe that this was _her_ making _her ojou-sama_ nervous!

"And I just wanted to give you a kiss goodnight before I went to bed."

And true to her word, she leant, forward, brushing her lips across her cheek.

Setsuna would later blame temporary madness as the cause for flinging her arms about her and pulling the taller girl down for the most passionate kiss of her life. (Sure, this was only the fourth, but it was still pretty damn passionate.)

They broke apart, gasping for air.

"G'night, Kono-chan," she whispered. Konoka blushed furiously, ran up the stairs, stopped at the top, blew her a kiss, and ran off. Dazed, Setsuna found her way to her room by sheer instinct alone.

Still unnoticed, and bleeding in spurts through the hands cupped over her nose, Haruna edged her way out from behind a strategically placed pot-plant.

Oh god. She needed to get to a sketchpad and quick!

* * *

"Paru, it's late. Can't you finish what you're drawing in the morning?" pleaded Nodoka. In the bunk below her, Yue clamped her pillow over her head and begin reciting Dante's _Inferno_ as a substitute for counting sheep, in the vain efforts of blocking out the furious _skritch-skritch_ of a pen on paper.

Ignoring them, eyes glazed with fanatical devotion to her art, Haruna sketched away.

So what if it was two o'clock! She had to finish this now, or else she'd never get to sleep...

* * *

**End Part One

* * *

**

**ENDNOTE: **Correction; quite possibly pure, _fluffy_ crack, with just a dash of smut. Hopefully not enough to require an M rating, though...

Haruna just struck me as the type of anime girl who, when a main female character loses her clothes in front of a wall of boys, is the lone girl in the background with the nosebleed.

She's just plain perverted, be it about boys or girls, and that's what I love about her. I really should try to use her character much more often...

Well, I'll try to update this more regularly, and I'm already well into the next part, but I get the sneaking suspicions this is going to be a loooong fic...

Reviews make Cloverfield happy. Go ahead, click the button.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima is not mine. If it were, Setsuna would suffer from a permanent nosebleed.

**PREFACE:** featuring more Haruna, one nosy reporter, and class-related shenanigans!

* * *

**Egg Belly.

* * *

**

**Part Two

* * *

**

_And so it was that the young couple found themselves the next Monday in the homeroom of 6A, once 3A, but still with the same girls, same mischief-makers, and, of course, the same spreader of rumours._

Haruna's glasses shone with unholy light as she threw herself into her seat.

Shoving them back on her nose, she grinned in the way Kazumi new best; like a cat with fresh, warm cream.

"You've got news, haven't you? Spill it!" demanded the reporter, fingers already itching to get to a pen and paper, perching herself on the other's desk.

"Well, I don't know if it'll interest you, reporter-san; after all, it's just a _little _piece of gossip." Haruna leaned back, hands folded on her desk.

Kazumi's ears twitched. Gossip was the kind of news she liked best, and even just a little gossip was better than none.

"You know I want to hear it, you tease, so just tell me already!" she snapped, drawing attention from the other girls filing into the class room in dribs and drabs.

Even Chisame was half-listening, if not looking up from her laptop.

"It's about a girl I saw at the movies. She was on a date with someone, and seemed quite happy to be there, if a little shy."

Asakura stretched and faked a yawn.

"Bor-_ing_. If I wanted to know about the trials of adolescent dating and mating, I'd be reading _Teen Soap Weekly_, not talking to you. So what do I care if some girl and boy held hands at the movies?" sliding off the desk, she fiddled with her camera. A few of the gathering crowd lost interest and returned to their seats.

"I never said anything about girls and _boys_, Kazumi."

"_Ooooooh!"_ went the gaggle of girls surrounding them, and even the perpetually uninterested Evangeline sat up a little straighter in her seat to listen. There was a soft _whirr_ and a _click_ as Chachamaru's vocal recorder was turned on.

"Now this, I like." Smirked Asakura, and plonked herself back on Haruna's desk again.

Behind her, next to a straight-faced Yue, Nodoka blushed, and clutched her books tighter to her chest.

"Two _girls_...?" she whispered, but was ignored.

Unnoticed, and oblivious of the hubbub, Konoka and Asuna walked in, followed by a slightly nervous Setsuna. Unlike the other two -talking animatedly about last night's episode of _Tokyo Godfather III: The Miniseries_-, she seemed a little wary, certain that someone had seen her the other night...

Not that she was ashamed of being caught on a date with her ojou-sama, oh no! She just didn't want anyone else to know about their still-blossoming relationship, if one could call a date and a few kisses a _relationship_...

"Yuh-huh. Three rows in front of me, two seats to the left, and cuddled up tight watching a _scawy movie_," Haruna shuddered theatrically and wrapped her arms about herself, "were two of the girls from our very own 3- I mean, 6A!"

"_Ooooooooooooooh! Who was it? Who was it? Tell us, Paru!"_ chanted the girls as one. Asakura snapped out her notebook and began writing furiously.

Asuna, looking around to see the class milling by the front desks had the sneaking suspicion something wasn't right, and tapped Konoka on the shoulder.

"Uh, Konoka, you might want to pay attention to this..."

"So distracted by their arms around each other, _of course_ they didn't know I was there, innocently watching _Zombie Martians from Pluto IV: The Bloodening_, an unwitting witness to their secret love!"

"_Aaaaahhh..." _sighed the curious, slowly being stirred to a frenzy by Haruna's obvious excitement, crowd. A few of the more soft-hearted girls wiped a tear or two away. _"How sweet!"_ was the general consensus.

"Hm, _Forbidden Love: The true tale of..._ hang on a minute, what were their names?" snapped Asakura, so excited her pencil was quivering.

"Now, now, I can't expose them publicly-" she began, rocking back in her chair regally.

"_Awwwww..."_

"- but I can tell you that one of them wasn't at breakfast this morning."

At the back of the class, Konoka sat bolt upright, eyes flicking to an ashen Setsuna trying to hide behind the coats in the back closet. Unfortunately, the young woman slipped on a still-wet rain-slicker, stumbled over a discarded laptop bag, crashed into the spare seats piled up at the back of the class and landed in a bruised and clattering heap on the floor.

_Everyone_ knew Setsuna trained in the morning, and frequently missed breakfast.

As one, thirty pairs of eyes turned to her.

There was a moment of silence, punctuated by a cough and a very quiet 'eep.'

"_SETSUNA! YOU OLD DOG!"_

"_Who was it? Who was it, huh? Tell us-"_

"_-bet it was Asuna!"_

"Hey! Don't you bring me into this!" snapped Asuna, standing up so fast she knocked her textbooks to the floor and jabbing her finger at the chattering crowd.

"_No, it was... Zazie!"_

"_...!"_

"_Ayaka!"_

"Now wait just one minute!" interjected class rep, drawing herself to her full height majestically, "you don't think I would go on a date with a _girl_!? And betray my love for Negi-Sensei, who although he is not our homeroom teacher anymore, still holds my heart-"

"_Fuka/Fumika!" _shouted the twins simultaneously, interrupting Ayaka's spiel by pointing fingers at each other.

"_Evangeline!"_

"Oh, _hell_ no," snapped the petite blonde, folding her arms angrily.

"_Makie! Oh wait, that's me!"_

"_Akira!"_

"But I was at swim practice on Saturday..." murmured the swimmer.

"_Chachamaru!"_

"Hey!" protested Satomi, "she isn't programmed for that kind of behaviour!"

"_Mana!"_

_Chk-chk. _The sound of a gun cocking was very, very loud, even over the excited hubbub.

"_Uh... NOT Mana!"  
"KU FEI!"_

"Have class gone mad? I not like Setsuna-san that way! She just comrade!" whispered Ku Fei, backing away from the rabid mob.

"_KAEDE!"_

"Nin-nin!"

"_SATSUKI!"_

"_MISA!"_

"_MAKIE! Oh no, wait, that's me again!"_

"_SAKURAKO!"_

"_ALL RIGHT EVERYONE! THAT'S ENOUGH! SET-CHAN WASN'T OUT WITH ANY OF THOSE GIRLS!"_ roared Konoka, standing on her desk and quivering with righteous fury.

The class fell silent.

Setsuna, head bowed, detangled herself from the furniture and rose, trembling where she stood.

"Don't you dare accuse Set-chan of going out with any of those girls! She was with _me_ on Saturday night, okay?! And if any of you have a problem with it," she snarled, something so unexpectedly frightening that the twins burst into wailing tears, "_you can take it up with me._" she finished quietly, her tone as sweet and as smooth as poisoned honey.

Her eyes narrowed. The class, shuffling before her in various stages of embarrassed guilt, murmured apologies to the shell-shocked girl.

"That's better," she sniffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

It was then that Konoka, noticing the teacher who'd stuck his head in the door, realised how loud she'd been.

And what she'd said.

"...oops," she whispered, slipping down to sit on the edge of her desk.

Behind her, Asuna sighed, and slammed her head into her hands.

"Oh, man... so much for keeping _that_ under wraps..."

Haruna, instigator of the riot, had been unusually quiet for a few minutes. The sketchbook she thrust into the air triumphantly told the class why.

"It was like this, wasn't it Setsuna?" she asked, eyes glinting with perverted humour.

Setsuna snatched the book, turned the page and flushed an ugly red to the roots of her hair.

The class, sensing something interesting was going to happen, held its breath.

"Heh heh heh..." Paru pushed her glasses back, almost blinding Asakura with their demonic flash.

Setsuna's mouth opened and shut, in a passable imitation of a fish she'd seen once at an aquarium.

"Uh... wuh... it... _it wasn't like that at all!_ We had _clothes_ on!" she snapped, tearing the page into tiny strips, and stomping on them like a girl possessed, pony tail bouncing up and down erratically.

Their teacher, a middle-aged man who certainly didn't deserve the punishment of being homeroom teacher to this _particular_ class, snuck into the room, and coughed, quietly.

"_Um, ladies...? If you'd like to take your seats...?"_

Cheeks flushed, hair in disarray, and eyes glowing like a madwoman, it took both Mana and Chachamaru to escort the poor girl to her seat.

For the rest of the morning, Setsuna flinched when spoken too, and her left eyelid twitched when anyone mentioned the words 'movie', 'newspaper', 'sketchbook', 'class' or 'the', a sign of deep trauma.

Konoka was sympathetic, but there was little she could do as rumours jumped from girl to girl like lightning to lightning rod.

* * *

Setsuna spent the rest of her day trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, which sounds simple in theory –find a rock and crawl under it- but infinitely difficult in practice. If it wasn't every damn teacher in the school sending smug looks her way, or damn Haruna making kissing noises every time she passed her, it was damn Asakura following them around with a camera and turning the most innocuous of situations into the most perverted possible.

For example: Setsuna helping carry Konoka's books became _Lesbian lovers cart-away Secret Sex Diaries!! _("What a scoop!")

Eating lunch together morphed into _Romantic Dinner for TWO...?!_ and sharing a can of soft drink _Cola Kissing: How to seduce your sweetheart through a can!_ ("Exclusive to Mahou Entertainment! Get the latest gossip now!")

Walking from class to class with Asuna and Konoka became _Schoolgirl Lover Threesome!!! _(Haruna grinned as her eyes flicked over the online article. "Kinky! I like it!)

And so it was the twitching, traumatised and trembling swordswoman found herself in her English class. She took her seat quietly, trying her best to ignore the seething hubbub of rumours.

"_...I heard Setsuna tried to get Konoka's bra off!"_

"_I heard it got thrown at Paru's head!"_

"_I heard that they broke into a car to make out in the back seat! And the bra got thrown out the window!"_

By the time Negi had moved from discussing the Romantic Movement in English Poetry to Shakespeare, Setsuna had broken three pencils, and could feel every concerned look a sympathetic Konoka sent her way. Growling a curse, she surged to her feet, and snapped a rough "Enough! Quit talking!"

The class feel silent, the twins edging their desk as far away from her as possible.

"Now, Setsuna-" began the class rep.

"_Now Setsuna Nothing! Just stop it!"_ She snarled, a hot, tight band of anger constricting painfully around her forehead. Even Haruna seemed a little abashed.

Negi, noticing the growing tension in regards to his student, coughed meaningfully (or at least tried to; his voice was prone to crack and break at inappropriate moments these days) decided to intervene.

"Setsuna-san, we understand you've been under a lot of stress lately, but really, that kind of behaviour is uncalled for," he slowed then, tugged his collar out, and felt the sweat on his face vaporise from the intensity of her gaze, "and shouldn't be found anywhere, and especially not in this class. Please, take your seat. And girls, we should not be so ready to repeat such unfounded rumours."

Setsuna sat, and feeling slightly ashamed, the girls apologised as one: _"We're sorry, Setsuna-san._"

Negi nodded, shuffled his papers and smiled.

"Now that's better, isn't it?"

And he continued with the lesson, and peace reigned in the class for about five minutes.

Evangeline, ever a trouble maker, and _totally_ interested in re-learning her native language –or, at least, one of them- for the fourteenth consecutive year, seemed disappointed that the class had given up so easily. And so, she called out in a voice remarkably similar to Haruna's, _"I heard Konoka puts out on the first date."_

A gasp bounced around the classroom, Negi dropped his chalk, and Setsuna, whose hearing was considerably better than Evangeline thought, lunged out of her chair and leapt in the shrimpy vampire's general direction, hands outstretched, fingers curling into talons.

Only Mana's quick-thinking snatch of her coat prevented the two from colliding, but Setsuna struggled like an octopus in a string bag, screeching revenge.

"_I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOUR FAMILY!"_

"_Bring it, bitch! My family's already dead!"_

The class, understandably, descended into chaos. The twins burst into tears, huddled together in a corner and the cheerleaders starting chanting _"FIGHT...! FIGHT...! FIGHT...!"_, which wasn't helpful at all, and some of the rowdier girls pushed their desks over into a circle around the two.

"Mana-! Let... me... _go_!" grunted Setsuna, wriggling out of her jacket and launching herself off the stunned sniper to jump at the blonde. Evangeline laughed, and swatted away an open handed blow as though it were a drunken fly.

"That all you got, girly?" she laughed, dodging every flying fist. "This is the most fun I've had in years!"

"_FIGHT...!FIGHT...! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!FIGHT!FIGHTFIGHTFIGHT!!!"_

"_Waaaaah...! We want our mommy!"_

"GIRLS! PLEASE, STOP!" wailed Negi, unable to be heard over the din.

"My god, they're worse than us..." whispered Asuna, and for once, Ayaka agreed.

Setsuna, striking as fast as a pissed-off snake, managed to land a blow to the nose of the petite vamp, spilling blood over her white blouse.

The crowd hissed in empathetic pain; Evangeline wobbled a little, and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"Huh, that's all you got? _Weakling_," she spat.

Konoka, fearing the worst, tried to struggle her way through the circling mob, but was knocked back into a desk, falling to the ground in a tangled pile of limbs and falling books, furniture tumbling on top of her.

Setsuna's snapped around to see her fall.

"Konoka-!"

The class fell silent.

Konoka coughed, and sat up, paper sliding off her to puddle in a crumpled mess at her feet.

"Set-chan," she pleaded, "Please don't fight Eva-chan, she doesn't mean the nasty things she says sometimes..." the girl blinked, touched a lump on her forehead, and drew back fingers sticky with blood. Only a little, but blood none the less.

"Kono-chan..."

Setsuna, faster than any of the other girls could have believed, pushed through the stunned crowd, and dashed out the door.

"Setsuna, wait!" Yelled out Asuna, but by then the girl was already gone.

More silence, before Negi kicked his chair over in disgust. It fell with a ringing clatter of wood to the floor.

"Really-! I have never seen such a _disgusting_ amount of bad behaviour from you girls! Repeating those rumours was nasty, and what you did was just plain _cruel_, Evangeline-san! I hope every girl here feels ashamed about her behaviour, because I know I am."

His young voice, squeaking on every second vowel, had never seemed so harsh. He turned his gaze on all of them, and it cracked like a whip. As one, each girl lowered her head.

"Um, Negi...? Can I...?" began Konoka, standing unsteadily.

"Of course, Konoka-san."

Waving off Asuna's offer of assistance, the downcast brunette left.

"Ladies," began Ayaka, straightening a chair and standing on it, "I know that _I_ feel terrible for the horrid treatment of these two lovely girls, and no doubt you do as well! I say we do something to apologise to our dear Setsuna-san, and show them both how much we support them!"

"_Yeah!"_

"_Right-on!"_

"_WE SUPPORT THEIR LOVE!"_

"_Hey, we should throw a party-"_

"_-yeah, and put that on a banner, and-"_

Ayaka, starry-eyed and trembling with emotion, cried out dramatically "I know we can do it girls, but we must hurry! To the _student supplies!_"

As one, the girls punched the air.

"We are 3-, uh, 6A, and we know how to set things right!"

"_YEAH!"

* * *

_

Konoka found her in the World Tree. It had been easy enough to make her way to the plaza unbothered, but now she was here, she didn't know where to start.

"Set-chan...?" she called out, tilting her head back as far as she could to see up into the mass of foliage.

"Please, will you come down...?"

The leaves rustled, but that was most likely a bird.

"Oh, Set-chan. Don't hide up there like this."

There was another rustle, and then a few leaves drifted down, followed by the words "But you got hurt because of me!"

Konoka giggled. "Oh, silly, silly Set-chan! What kind of healer would I be if I couldn't mend a little bump to the head? And besides, I was the clumsy one. If I hadn't tripped, I wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place."

A few twigs fell this time, some more leaves, and with a _whump_ Setsuna landed in a crouch at Konoka's feet.

"You were still hurt," she whispered, head bowed, her slender figure balanced perfectly in a subservient, kneeling stoop.

Konoka waved a hand, and knelt down to tilt the girl's head up. "Where do you see a bruise on me?"

Setsuna looked at her for a very long time, before standing, hands on Konoka's shoulders, pulling the girl up with her.

"Konoka... Kono-chan. I... I'm not very good with this kind of thing. If people keep talking about you, I-" she turned away then, shoulders slumping in defeat. Konoka reached out a hand to her shoulder.

"I don't care about what people say to me, about me- whatever. It doesn't matter to me, Set-chan, not if I've got you."

She could feel Setsuna stiffening, the muscles in her back twitching beneath her hand.

"Set-chan, I love you."

Setsuna was still for a very long time, and when she spoke, her voice was quiet and heavy with awe.

"You really do, don't you? I can _hear _it in your words."

Konoka smiled, and pulled the girl close, loving the blush that heated Setsuna's cheeks.

"Oh, silly, of course I do." Arms about the swordswoman's waist, she squeezed tight. "I love you like I love lying on the beach with my toes in the water and the sun on my face, and a good book in my hands. I love you like I love a warm blanket in winter, and your warmth to cuddle up to beside a fireplace. I love you like I love no-one else, Set-chan, and I'll go on loving you for the rest of my life."

Setsuna closed her eyes and tipped her head back.

"It's so easy for you to say it, so easy, and yet you still mean it," she whispered, her hands sliding along the arms about her waist. "Then why is it so hard for me...?"

Konoka pressed a kiss below her ear.

"Because some things are easier for me, even if I'm not as strong as you. _Because_ I'm not as strong as you. You don't have to say it."

"_I've loved you since I was five."_ The words were pressing against her lips, and maybe Setsuna whispered them, or maybe she didn't, but Konoka still heard them.

"I know," she whispered back.

They stood there for a little while, in the very empty plaza, and watched the shade of the World Tree move over them.

"We should get back to class."

"Yeah."

"Kono-chan...?"

"Mm?"

"Can I... can I hold your hand?"

A giggle, and Setsuna found the fingers tangled in hers.

"But you already are, silly!"

* * *

"_Ready girls? One... two... three-!"_

"_WE SUPPORT YOUR LOVE!!"  
_Konoka squealed in delight, pulling a stunned Setsuna into a hug as confetti rained over them, thrown in enthusiastic handfuls by the cheerleaders.

"_Way to go, you guys!"_

"_Yeah, you guys are the cutest couple on campus!"_

Over the desks pushed into a makeshift party table swung a large, glittery, brightly coloured banner, emblazoned with not only the catch-cry slogan, but 'KONOKA & SETSUNA 4 EVER' as well. Negi, standing on a chair, blew a paper squeaker, and grinned down at them as soft-drink cans and party favours were pushed into their hands.

"Come in girls! You see, everyone felt so bad, they decided we had to throw a party. Ayaka-san provided the supplies-"

Negi's words were muffled as the two of them were pushed forward by a grinning Yuna into the class rep's waiting arms, and squashed into her waiting, ample chest.

"Oh, I couldn't bear it that we treated you so cruelly!" she cried, tears glimmering in her eyes, "So I said we just _had_ to throw you a party!"

"Um, thas' very nice, cwas rep, but i's' kindwa hwad to bweathe-" mumbled Konoka.

"Yeah, don't hog 'em blondie- we've gotta say our bit, too!" dragging them out of Ayaka's, ahem, affectionate grasp, Asakura grinned down at them, camera in hand-

"Oh no you don't," began Setsuna, breathing normally now, if a little flushed from lack of oxygen.

"Relax, shorty. This picture isn't going to end up in the paper. I just thought Konoka'd like a snapshot for her photo album." Her eyes twinkled merrily, but the reporter's smile was sincere. "I shouldn't have made up rumours like that. I guess I just got carried away with the story. Please? Just a little picture?"

"Please, Set-chan," pleaded Konoka, wrapping herself around the girl's left arm, "A photo would be nice! We haven't had a photo together by ourselves since we last went to Kyoto! Please...?" she wheedled, brown eyes huge and luminous, melting any resolve Setsuna felt about getting them as far away from that camera as possible.

"Oh alright, but just one-"

"Yay! Oh, thankyou, Set-chan!" squealed Konoka, wrapping her arms about the smaller woman, and crushing her to her chest.

"Ooh! Good pose! Hold it!"

Startled, Setsuna lifted her head, "Hey, wait, what-?"

_Click! Whirrr..._

"I'll have this photo printed out by tomorrow. Heh, don't you worry, I won't try putting it on the internet. Oh, looks like Paru wants to talk to you- seeya, girls!" with a wink, the snap-happy red-head was gone, Setsuna still blinking from the flash, and Haruna in front of them, with as slim, bound volume in her hands.

She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, and flushed a little.

"Seems I was the one who got this whole mess started, eh heh heh."

"You could say that," said Setsuna dryly, crossing her arms and clearly unimpressed.

Undeterred, the manga artist grinned widely, and thrust the slender book into Konoka's hands. Shoving her pastry into her mouth, she freed a somewhat-sticky hand to take it.

"'ahnk 'u, 'aru. Wha' 's 't?" she mumbled around a mouthful of crumbling pastry and cream.

"Oh, just something I whipped up- an apology of sorts. For, heh, _future reference_." Completely missing the mischievous sparkle in her eyes, Setsuna nodded politely. "I had the bookshop girls bind it up for me this afternoon- it's part of their congratulations, too."

"Thankyou, Haruna-san. And apology accepted, though if you do spread such unsubstantiated rumours again, you and I will have to have a... talk," finished Setsuna, friendliness melting into stern determination for a second.

Haruna swallowed at the hard flash in dark eyes, and realised she'd better get a move-on away from the couple before Konoka opened the book.

Leaning forward, she gave each of them a quick squeeze, before dashing off.

"You girls enjoy that book now, and good luck!"

Konoka placed her drink on a spare table, and sat down, licking the pastry off her fingers.

"That pastry was really yummy, Set-chan. Did you get one from Satsuki-san?"

"Uh, no, Kono-chan," said Setsuna, not really paying attention, and not quite sure why Paru had just given her the thumbs up from the corner where she sat with Nodoka and Yue. Nodoka gave her a little wave, and she found herself waving back, still a little perturbed by the way Haruna was waggling her eyebrows.

"Ooh, this looks really detailed! It's some sort of manga! I wonder what it's about..."

Haruna was giggling now, Setsuna could see her shoulders shaking with mirth, and the sound of a page turning and a soft half-gasp from Konoka clicked in her head.

"Oh, _my_!" whispered Konoka breathlessly, "you don't think you'll _ever_ do something like _that_ to _me_, do you Set-chan?"

Alarmed, Setsuna turned and found Konoka crimson from ears to neck. "Look, Set-chan!"

Setsuna peered at the figures on the pages held out to her, held wide in her ojou-sama's trembling hands.

And stared. And felt her mouth go dry at what she was seeing, the hot blush rising until she was quite sure her face was on fire, and those sinful images burnt into the back of her brain.

Such dirty, dirty pictures, and some of those positions looked really quite complicated...

"_HARUNA!!!"_

The girl in question turned and grinned at an oblivious Yue. "I think she likes my apology present," she said happily.

* * *

It was sometime later that night, Negi already in bed, that Asuna perched herself on the arm of a lounge-chair and watched Konoka brush her hair, smiling contentedly, cheeks flushed pink.

That...interesting... book had been hidden somewhere that Negi's curious eyes couldn't find it (_although I intend to have a better look myself, later,_ thought Konoka, and blushed), and Set-chan had walked her to her room after the extended party had finally ended -although she knew some of the older girls were probably still partying, trying to sneak into the bars at Mahora University- and kissed her on the cheek, blushing a cute shade of red before running away to her room.

Konoka sighed happily, and settled herself down in her chair, stretching luxuriously.

"Oh, I thought that party would never end! It was nice though."

"Well now," grinned Asuna, "since we're finally out of the clutches of our celebratory-minded classmates, how 'bout you tell me about your date on Saturday night? You never did get around to spilling the details..." the red-head rested her chin in her hands and waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Stop it, Asuna!" Konoka sniggered, drawing herself upright regally and waving her hair brush for emphasis, "Konoe Konoka, heir to the Kantou Magic Association and now most popular girl in school, shall _never_ kiss and tell!"

They looked at each other seriously for a moment, before bursting into giggles.

"Whatever, Konoka. I'll go put the kettle on."

Konoka beamed, eyes lighting up.

"Oh Asuna, you know me too well."

* * *

**End Part Two

* * *

**

**ENDNOTE:** a little bit more fluff, and yet another dose of Perverted!Haruna, who is really, really fun to write.

Although I should be careful, I don't want her taking over the fic...

More to come as soon as possible, and this is quite possibly the fastest I've ever updated _anything_, although I doubt I'll be able to keep it up... here's hoping!

Go on. Make my day. The button's over there --- (clicky click!)


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima is not mine. If it were, Setsuna would suffer from a permanent nosebleed.

**PREFACE:** mmkay. This might be the last quick update for a little while since I start University on Monday. I will update as soon as I possibly can, etc etc, but more of that later.

For now, on with the show!

* * *

**Egg Belly.

* * *

**

**Part Three

* * *

**

"Exams! Three days! _I'm gooooonnnna die!_" wailed Asuna, scattering textbooks and paper around the room.

"Asuna, I did vacuum yesterday, so if you could just keep things a _little_ tidier-" began Konoka, before swerving to avoid more flying textbooks, nearly spilling tea all over the carpet.

Placing the tray down, she stood with hands on hips facing the flailing redhead, who was squeezing a distressed Chamo like a furry stress ball. A vein throbbed in her forehead, and her panicked eyes filled with tears.

"If you'd just studied like I'd told you to, we wouldn't be having this problem, you know." she said, not unkindly, drowning out Chamo's stifled squeaks.

"_...please, ane-san ...ack... no more..."_

"But _Konokaaaa_... you _know_ I can't study! I'm gonna fail! I'm gonna _faaaaaailll..._"

Konoka sighed, and sat down to eat her breakfast. "Drink your tea, eat your eggs, and I'll see what I can do. I'm going to the library today, to get some books-"

"Really?" snapped Asuna, lifting her head from her hands, sarcasm leaking from every pore, "I wouldn't expect you to find books in a _library_, of all places-"

"Asuna! Do you want my help or not?" cross, Konoka waved her fork at the girl, before continuing on to neatly cut her fried eggs. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, 'cause I know you're stressed," she added sweetly. "As I was saying, I'm getting books for some last minute study. I can bring some back for you if you like. I'll even go where non-library members aren't allowed and get you some reference books, like the ones Negi uses to teach class."

"_Really?_ On thankyou!" cried Asuna, rushing forward to hug Konoka, knocking the table, and spilling scrambled eggs all over the carpet.

"Oh, Asuna. You can clean that up." Sighed Konoka.

* * *

"It still gets me how big this place is..." murmured Setsuna, gazing roof-ward at the massive domed ceiling. 

"You say something Set-chan?" asked Konoka, turning to the girl, lantern in hand.

"Hm? No, nothing, ojou-sama. I mean, Kono-chan," she added, at Konoka's questioning look. Setsuna flushed. She still wasn't used to addressing her girlfriend by such an informal title, and they'd been dating for a month now.

Konoka shrugged, and went back to adjusting her equipment. She was planning a trip to the lower levels of Library Island, after all, and needed to be prepared.

"Okay, Set-chan, I want you to read out that list for me. I want to make sure I've got _everything_ before we leave," chirped Konoka, gesturing to the study table littered with all sorts of tools and miscellanea, some whose purpose wasn't quite clear.

"Okay. _Belt, leather, librarian standard issue (one)."_

"Check." Konoka belted it tight across her chest, between her breasts, pulling her white blouse tighter. Setsuna swallowed, and hurried her gaze back down to the list.

"_Hook, non-grappling, magnetic (one)."_

"Check."

"_Hook, grappling (one)."_

Slinging both hooks into the holsters on her hips, Konoka struck a cowboy pose. "Check!"

Setsuna tried not to giggle, and continued.

"_Satchel, waterproofed cloth, librarian standard issue, (one), containing: flares, waterproof (six); book bag, cotton (one); knives, pocket (two); first aid kit (one); compass, magnetic (one); map, laminated, (one); matches, magnesium dipped, (twelve); flamethrower, self-igniting, (one)._ Why do we need a flamethrower?"

"You'll see," said Konoka darkly, "and check, check and check! You can carry the satchel, Set-chan."

The shorter girl nodded, and slung the satchel over her shoulder.

"Okay. _Lantern, safety electric, librarian standard issue (one)."_

"Check!" said Konoka, brandishing it aloft. "Is that everything?"

"Uh, just the _rope, nylon, (coils, two) _and the_ helmets, torch attached (two)_ and we're done."

"Check and check! I'll just write my name down on the Expedition Board and we can go! Don't forget to put your helmet on, Set-chan."

"Yes, Kono-chan."

Konoka grinned. "And while we're in the dangerous lower depths of the library, you're to stay close to me. _And_ you're to call me 'Expedition Leader'."

Setsuna gave the beaming girl a funny look.

"Yes, Expedition Leader Kono-chan."

"Okay then! Off we go!"

* * *

Setsuna was starting to understand why they needed all that equipment. If it wasn't the booby-trapped bookshelves (she'd narrowly missed being shot half-a-dozen times, Konoka only telling her when to duck at the last minute), or the giant rolling boulders (they'd almost been squished by three of them) it was the fact that the place was _enormous_; labyrinthine shelves stood in rows that spiralled into the dim and foggy distance. 

Setsuna couldn't understand how there could be _fog_ a few hundred metres underground, but then if she worried about that, she should also worry about the fact that they now appeared to be walking through a jungle of bookshelves. _Literally_, she thought, brushing away drooping vines from the ceiling lost in foliage above them.

Some of the shelves they passed -full of books with exotic titles such as _Magizoology and You_, _Entropy in Relation to Houseplants: A Study_, and _The Gargantuan Arachnids of the semi-real Magizonian Jungle-_ seemed to be flowering.

One particularly colourful bloom caught her eye. A magnificent royal purple, with pink streaked petals and large, golden stamens, she reached a hand up to pluck it, thinking that perhaps Konoka would like one...

"I wouldn't pick that if I were you, Set-chan," said Konoka hurriedly, taking the girls hand and drawing it away from the seemingly-innocent flower. "That's a lure to attract prey." The plant itself won't take too kindly to having its flowers pulled off."

"The _plant_ won't like it?"

Konoka nodded sagely. "Mm-hm. Ever seen an English movie called 'Day of the Triffids'?"

"Um, no...?"

"Best you don't touch any of the other flowers then. C'mon, we've still got two more floors to go through before we reach the reference section!"

Still confused over the seemingly innocuous plant, and slightly disappointed she couldn't give such a beautiful flower to her Kono-chan, Setsuna followed her Expedition Leader onwards.

Eventually the steamy jungle around them seemed to thin out a little, and a cool breeze blew, drying the sweat beading on the girls' foreheads. Konoka cut some of the vines out of their way with the _machete, librarian standard issue, (one)_ she had to hand, and pushed her way through a large shrub.

"Phew! We're almost out of the- whoa! Watch out for the spider web, Set-chan!"

"Spider web?! That thing's _huge_!" gasped Setsuna, looking up (and up and up) at the sticky, stringy mass of silken threads, each as thick as rope.

"Yeah, and if we're lucky, we won't see any spiders. Just step around it, and try not to touch it."

"Why? Is it poisonous?" asked Setsuna, narrowly dodging a loose strand.

Konoka wrinkled her nose and winked at her.

"No, it's just plain gross." She pushed back some thin branches, and rustled her way through a bush.

"It's all down hill from here, and the stairs aren't that far from-" began Konoka, disappearing into a thicket, and stopped.

The rustling noise continued.

"Expedition leader? Kono-chan?" called out Set-chan, only aware of how quiet the jungle around her was. Ancient instincts, not entirely human, set her feathers prickling under her clothes. This was not good.

"Kono-chan!" she called out again, dashing forward into the bushes, not caring about noise or spiderwebs, just finding her ojou-sama-

Who was standing stock-still, looking up, into the dripping maws of the biggest spider Setsuna had ever seen.

_That thing looks like it should be fighting Godzilla in downtown Tokyo_, she thought dazedly as a splatter of venom hit the ground in front of her, burning through the leaf-littler like, well, acid through leaf-litter.

"_Set-chan! Run!"_ screamed Konoka, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling. The two schoolgirls crashed through the undergrowth, stinging plants scratching at their legs, the sound of eight thundering feet behind them.

And then a loud, ear-piercing _hisssssss_, and eight became sixteen. Then twenty-four, and gaining...

"Set-chan! The flamethrower! Hurry!"

"What?" shouted Setsuna, hand in front of her eyes to shield her from the branches that clawed at them as they thrashed through the dense greenery.

"Flamethrower!" yelled Konoka, pulling them to thump back-to-trunk behind a thick, gnarled and vine-strewn tree. Hurriedly, Setsuna threw the satchel at her feet, and rummaged around, tossing her girlfriend the long, thin, incendiary device.

The spiders were closer now, so close the ground was shaking. With a _click-click-click-whoomph! _the flamethrower roared into life.

"Isn't that dangerous?" yelled Setsuna, barely heard over the din of twenty-four legs crashing towards them.

"Don't worry; there's no bookshelves around! _Eat fire, you hairy freaks!"_ screamed Konoka, throwing herself from behind the tree and sending a ten metre long lance of blue flame towards the approaching arachnids.

_Whoooooooooooooommmmmph!_

The first spider, caught between the fire and its onrushing fellows, burst into green, scorching tongues of flame, screaming in agony before exploding into thick spurts of black slime that smoked where it hit the ground. Konoka pulled a pair of goggles down from off her helmet, and Setsuna felt something like _abject terror_ at the sight of her seemingly-harmless girlfriend with the reflection of the fires of hell dancing on her lenses.

The next spider was barely singed, and slammed a spiky leg down towards her.

"Kono-chan! Look out!" screamed Setsuna, stunned as Konoka threw herself out of the way of the flailing, wickedly-spiked limb, raised herself up on one knee, and sent a stabbing tongue of fire into the creature's stomach. Black ichor rained down around them, splattering into the trees. Konoka screamed as a few droplets hissed through her khaki shorts, and fell back, swiping her hands over her legs.

"Kono-chan!" shouted Setsuna, grabbing the fallen machete and leaping onto the back of the third, charging creature, thrusting the curved blade up to the hilt in hairy black spider, which reared up and screeched in pain, giving Konoka a perfect target.

"Now, Kono-chan!" she screamed, throwing herself off the creature seconds before it burst into flame, chunks of smoking spider pattering down about them.

Breathing hard, Konoka wobbled upright, flamethrower still smoking. "It just ran out of gas.." she murmured, weapon dangling loosely in her fingers as she helped a dazed Setsuna stand. She shook herself, pulled a few leaves out of Setsuna's hair and smiled at the shell-shocked swordswoman.

"Phew! Usually there's only one down here, so that was a bit scary. I'll have to tell Yue to hire the Exterminators again; their growth is really getting out of hand!"

Blowing on the still-glowing metal pipe as though to cool it, Konoka smiled and tucked it into the satchel.

"We're lucky they were just spiders. If it'd been monsters, we would've been in _real_ trouble."

Still gaping open-mouthed, Setsuna made a noise that could've been disbelief.

"You... you don't need me at all, Kono-chan," she whispered. "You're _amazing_."

Konoka giggled. "Oh, stop it Set-chan. You helped too! I wouldn't have gotten that last one if it weren't for you. And besides, they were only spiders. If they'd been _demons_ I would've been relying on you to protect me," she said, wrapping herself around Setsuna's left arm and giving her a squeeze.

"I'm used to the spiders. But demons? Oh boy," Konoka muttered, and shivered.

* * *

"You've gotta be really careful you don't fall off the shelves here, Set-chan," said Konoka, as they marched along the top of partially submerged bookshelves. 

"They're pretty steady, so they shouldn't wobble too much, but once you're down in the water, it's hard to get back up again without damaging the books."

Setsuna nodded, wondering how it was the books on the lower shelves could get any more damaged, considering they were submerged in the shimmering, glittering water below, but said nothing. No doubt it was just magic.

The shelftops were fairly narrow, so the girls marched in single file across the top, careful not to stumble over the joining seams of bookshelf to bookshelf.

"This gap's fairly wide, so we're gonna have to... _jump it_!" said Konoka, launching herself off the shelf and into the air.

Setsuna, startled at the sudden movement, reached out a hand, and her questing fingers snagged briefly on Konoka's ankle.

The girl's jump stopped short, and screaming, she managed to catch onto the very edge of the shelf. A few metres below her, the water sloshed against the lower shelves.

"Kono-chan! Are you alright?" called out Setsuna, edging cautiously closer to the edge of her shelf.

Konoka grunted, and tried pulling herself up, but her feet scrabbled on the slick wood and couldn't find a grip.

"I'm okay," she grunted, arms straining, before dropping into the water below with a loud _splash_, and sinking into the foam.

"Kono-chan!" yelled Setsuna, diving down without even thinking. She knifed into the water with a smooth _sploosh_, eyes open in the surprisingly clean liquid, and swam towards a flailing Konoka. Grabbing her hand, Setsuna kicked upwards, dragging them both to the surface.

Gasping, they burst upwards, bobbing up and down before treading water to steady themselves.

"I'm glad you jumped in after me," gasped Konoka, still gulping down air. "I hit the surface pretty hard- I could've drowned! You saved me!" the brunette launched herself at Setsuna, throwing her arms around her hard enough to dunk them both under. Spluttering, Setsuna flailed against the water, and eventually they both popped up to the surface again.

"I... you're welcome, Kono-chan, but next time you hug me, it's be easier if we were on land."

Konoka flushed. "Sorry."

"Ah, I should be the one apologising. I didn't mean to grab out like that- I just saw you jump, and I guess it was just a reflex-"

"That's alright, Set-chan." Said Konoka, waving away the other girl's apology.

Sculling the water with her hands, she looked about herself. "Well, I could probably get us back onto the shelves, but I'd have to use my grappling hook, and I don't know if it wouldn't just overbalance the shelf. Hmm." She floated in place for a moment, peering up at the massive shelf looming out of the water. "Maybe if I aim for the centre of it- what do you think Set-chan...? Set-chan?" asked Konoka, confused at the way the shorter girl kept opening and closing her mouth.

A thin trickle of blood inched its way down from Setsuna's nose, dripping off her chin to _spoloink! spoloink!_ into the water, foaming into blossoming pink clouds.

"_G-guh...?"_ stammered Setsuna.

"Set-chan! What are you looking at- oh!" said Konoka, glancing down to see half the buttons from her white blouse missing, no doubt lost in the water below them, and the blouse itself translucent and billowing out, exposing her black, lacy bra.

_It probably wasn't a good idea to wear the bra that was designed for 'Ultimate Cleavage'_ _today_, thought Konoka, taking in the glazed look in Setsuna's eyes.

The trickle of blood flew a little faster, and Konoka hastily wrapped her shirt around herself.

Setsuna, dimly aware that now wasn't the time to be ogling her Expedition Leader, dunked herself under water in an attempt to banish the sinful idea that had popped into her head at the sight of her Kono-chan's dripping wet, heaving chest, with the translucent shirt swirling about her slender, nubile body just so...

"_GWAH!"_ shouted Setsuna underwater, streams of bubbles gushing up towards the surface. Konoka, worried about the way her Set-chan was thrashing about underwater, nevertheless heard the faint, stirring strains of a familiar theme.

_Duh dun... Duh dun... Duh dun... Duh dun... duh dun..._

_Oh no_, thought Konoka, turning around frantically to find out where the noise was coming from, _oh no! Not them!_

"Set-chan! Quick! We've gotta get out of here!" she cried, yanking the shorter girl upwards. Setsuna, still spluttering, took in the panicked look on her Expedition Leader's face.

"Oh no," she groaned, "what is it this time? Killer crabs?" wiping the blood away, Setsuna splashed her hand about in the water, stilling at Konoka's frantic "Shh!"

And listened, as the swelling strains of the most ominous music she'd ever heard made itself known.

_Duh dun... Duh dun... Duh dun duh dun duh dun..._

"They must've eaten their way through the scores in the Film and Musical sections!" cried Konoka, trying to swim closer towards the stacks in front of them as fast as possible.

"What has?" asked Setsuna, splashing towards the shelves.

"The booksharks!" yelled Konoka, _"We've got to get out of the water!"_

"_Booksharks?!_ What the hell is a book-"

"_They're getting closer!" _screamed Konoka, Behind them, Setsuna could see fins knifing through the clear water, coming faster and faster towards them-

Konoka was panicking, scrambling to pull her grappling hook out of its holster, the slick metal handle slipping through her fingers to land in-

-Setsuna's waiting hands, as she dove forward to catch it, briefly dunking underwater into swirling, wet, silence-

And bursting up to hear the familiar tune of the 'Mexican Hat Dance'.

"Hey, isn't that my ringtone-?!"

As the strangely haunting _duh-dun duh-dun duh-dun... duh-dun-dun-dun-da-dun! _rang in her ears, Konoka wailed, "Oh no! They've gone through the World Music Section-! Give me the grappling hook!"

Her slick fingers found a purchase on the cold metal handle, and as the creatures thrashed closer, she pointed the pistol-like hook upwards.

"Grab on! And don't let go-_oooooooo!!"_ shouted Konoka, jamming down the 'reel-in' button, as the two of them shot out of the water and smashed into the top shelf, bookcase wobbling dangerously.

"Get onto the shelf! Hurry! They must've smelt your blood in the water!"

"What did? What the hell is a bookshark?!" cried Setsuna, scrambling up onto the top, and pulling Konoka up after her.

"They're like bookworms- _but sharks!"_ screamed Konoka, who, as soon as she was upright, grabbed the other girl and started running.

The water below them was foaming with whipping tails and fins, and the shelf shook as they ran along it.

"Hurry! If we're lucky, they won't-" Konoka cut herself off as the bookcase began to sway from side to side.

"_Watch out! They're eating through it!"_ she screamed, the two of them leaping for the next bookshelf as the one beneath them gave way and toppled into the water with a _duh-dunna-dun-dun-dun-dun!_ and a roaring _splaaaaaaaasshhhh!!_

"_Not 'The Entertainer'!! That was one of my favourite songs! Why, god, why?!"_

"Quick, Kono-chan!" Setsuna grabbed the girl, wings bursting out of her back, knapsack falling into the foaming, thrashing water below and flew-

-About forty metres upwards and along before her wet feathers began to clump together. A screaming Konoka in her arms, helmet long ago fallen down to _sploosh!_ into the churning mass of creatures, Setsuna grunted with effort and managed to get them over to the stairwell before her left wing folded in on itself and they fell-

Snapping her great, feathered limbs out, they plummeted down a dark stairwell, Setsuna shedding feathers as she tried to use her wings, if not to fly, then at least to slow their fall-

"Aaaaaaahhh!" Screamed Konoka, "Aaaahh- wait, is that a stone golem!?"-

Flashing past a man-shaped statue of stone apparently holding a newspaper, stairs rushing past them-

Setsuna straining herself to hold them both up but to no avail, pinions spread like parachutes-

Falling, falling, and-

_Splaaaaashhh!

* * *

_

When she woke up, she was on a beach, and Konoka was smiling down at her.

_This must still be a dream. Oh, but she's beautiful..._

And wet. And had a couple of nicks and cuts littering her slender arms, pinning her shoulders down into the soft, warm sand, which felt far too real to be a dream...

"Wake up, silly. We're okay." leaning back, Konoka pulled Setsuna upright, and sat down next to her on the sand.

"We're down in the reference section, see? It's so beautiful here."

And it was. Lone bookcases stood upright in a sparkling, glimmering lagoon, framed by a huge rimfall in the distance, so that the crashing of the water was softened to a susurrating _husshhhhh_. Lounge-chairs and desks littered the beach about them, and a huge gazebo sat at the end of a wooden boardwalk leading out over the water.

Setsuna rubbed her eyes and shifted, hand brushing against a stack of books.

"They're for us to take home," explained Konoka at her questioning look. "I looked around while you were sleeping," she added, bouncing excitedly on the spot. "You were pretty exhausted, and passed out as soon as we hit the water. It's deep in the middle of the lagoon, but it gets shallower, so I was able to drag us to shore."

Her eyes glowed with happiness as she leaned forward to bump her nose against Setsuna's.

"You saved my life, Set-chan," she breathed, reaching up a hand to cup setsuna's face.

To her great surprise, Setsuna didn't feel like blushing, or stammering, or backing away from her. There was no embarrassment here; just a deep sense of contentment as she looked into her love's eyes.

Gently, Konoka leaned forward and kissed her. Setsuna felt her eyes flutter shut, and Konoka's lips part softly against her own. The hand caressing her cheek slid downwards to smooth over her shoulder, and took those fingers stroking down her back to make her realise she wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Our clothing's wet," giggled Konoka. "I stripped you down to your underwear while you were sleeping so it could dry."

Setsuna, feeling so warm, so sleepy, and so very, very comfortable with the soft body of her ojou-sama pressed against her, found she couldn't really protest.

Konoka smiled again, and this time when she spoke, her voice was husky. Hearing it did strange things to her chest, and her stomach- it felt like something was fizzing away inside her with every word Konoka spoke.

"We've had quite an adventure here today, Set-chan," she whispered, sliding her body against Setsuna's. "Maybe we should lie down for a little while."

They lay in the sand, side by side, and Setsuna let her fingers trail up Konoka's leg, tracing circles over her rounded hip.

She wasn't expecting Konoka to gasp like that, a breathless little sound that made the blood pound in her ears. Feeling quite daring, Setsuna leant over her ojou-sama, and slipped a finger beneath the hem of her panties, sliding down along the curve of her thigh.

Konoka shivered, and reached her hands up to tangle in Setsuna's hair, pulling it free from the hairtie. Loose, it spilled down, blue-black highlights glowing like crow feathers.

"Set-chan..." whispered Konoka, throaty and breathless, eyes wide and dark. Something kicked in Setsuna's chest at the look in those eyes.

She leant down to kiss her, brush her lips along her shoulder, collarbone, the side of her neck –savouring the panting, moaning little gasps Konoka was making now, twisting her hands in Setsuna's hair- under her ear, before snagging the fleshy lobe with her teeth.

Konoka moaned, loudly, and Setsuna pulled back to kiss her, firmly, tongue stroking against the inside of her sweet mouth when something _whistled_ through the air and-

-_clonked_ onto Setsuna's head.

Setsuna sat up, sorely tempted by Konoka's noises of protest to go back down again, when her flingers slipped loose of Konoka's underwear and picked up the offending object.

"A juicebox?" asked Setsuna, clearly puzzled.

" '_Tomato and Carrot Juice'_," read Konoka, as confused as the girl leaning over her.

Distantly, Setsuna heard something a lot like crumbling stone, and a scream-

"_aaaaa__aaaaaaa__aaaaaAAAAAHHH!!"_

Setsuna, even under assault from unknown enemies, rolled, taking the figure that slammed into her with a _"oof!"_ and pinning them to the sand.

"Who the hell are- Nodoka?" she asked, sitting back from the trembling girl.

"S-s-sorry, Setsuna-san!" the girl squeaked, hair flopping into her eyes. "I'm here with Yue."

"But where's-?" began Konoka, but was cut off by a loud shriek as the slightly-heavier Yue slammed into Setsuna's back.

"Set-chan!" cried Konoka, standing upright and running over to her. "Are you alright?!"

_I'll let you know in a minute, Kono-chan_, thought Setsuna dazedly, _Once the stars stop flashing before my eyes..._

"Setsuna-san! I'm sorry," cried Yue, clambering off the girl and pulling her upright. Setsuna swayed unsteadily on the spot.

"'s ok, Yue," she murmured, "just give me a warning next time, alright?"

Hastily, the short philosopher straightened herself up. Nodoka, still lying on the sand scrambled upright.

"Konoka! You know better than to go on a exploring trip by yourself! W-what if you'd gotten hurt-" began Nodoka and stopped, flushing pink, then red, then trembling on the spot. "Um..."

Not noticing her companion's reluctance to continue, Yue nodded sternly, reaching up to flick her helmet torch off.

"That's right. If you're going deeper then level two, you take another librarian with you. You were very lucky with the spiders, and the third level is a mess! Books everywhere. It's a good thing those books are impervious to water," she added, folding her arms sternly, eyeing over a embarrassed looking Konoka.

"I know, Yue, but I thought I'd be alright. I mean, I just wanted to take back a few books-"

"Yes, well," snapped the shortest girl, "you should take more precautions next time. We found your satchel- the booksharks had eaten everything but the flares! Who knows what would've happened to you if you hadn't had a grapp- _is that a thong?"_

Konoka hastily clapped her hands over her backside, face burning a dull red.

"_Um, no, of course not_! Look, are we going back up to the surface or what?"

* * *

"See? I told you we'd get you some books!" said Konoka cheerfully, dumping a bagful on the kitchen table. 

"Oh, you're a lifesaver Konoka!" cried Asuna, hugging the girl tight. "Now I just know I'll pass- why is your shirt half undone?"

Konoka blushed at Asuna's strange look, but soldiered on regardless. "Um, _Library Island_, Asuna. Remember all the trouble we got into last time? Set-chan and I just had a few... incidents today."

Setsuna, sinking wearily onto the couch, nodded in agreement, too tired to speak.

"Anyway, aren't you going to have a look at what we got you? I'm grabbing a drink from the fridge. You want one, Set-chan?"

Setsuna lifted a hand to signal 'yes', before flopping sideways.

Absently listening to Konoka in the kitchen, Asuna fished around in the bookbag.

"Let's see now," she muttered, spilling the contents onto the table. "We've got a... maths book, _Advanced Calculus for Dummies_... history, _From Samurai to Sony_... and... what's this?"

Konoka took a sip from her soft drink can. "Oh, that's _good_. This one's yours, Set-chan," she said, tossing an icy can toward the reclining figure on the couch, who shot up a hand to catch it.

"Is this a... English book?" asked Asuna aloud as she opened the unmarked tome. Leafing through a couple of pages, she stopped and held the book sideways, eyebrows shooting into her hair.

"Uh, Konoka?"

"Mm...?" replied the brunette, lazing on the floor by the couch, eyes closed and head tipped back.

"...what kinda book is the one with the purple leather cover?"

"Should be an English textbook," said Konoka, without opening her eyes.

"Only... only it looks pretty _Indian_ to me. And I'm pretty sure textbooks don't have illustrations in them. Well, at least, not _these_ kind of illustrations."

Puzzled, Konoka sat up and opened her eyes. Behind her, having an inkling of where this was going –she supposed Haruna had to get her inspiration _somewhere_- Setsuna covered her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Wordlessly, Asuna held the book out, pages spread wide, and bit her lip as Konoka's eyes grew wider and wider.

"Wha..." began the girl, colour draining from her face. Behind her, despite herself, Setsuna opened one eye, glanced at the picture, and screwed it shut again.

Then, surprisingly, Asuna grinned. "_Suuuuuure_ you guys were studying. _Suuuurrrre_ you were."

Konoka waved her arms about. "Asuna! It's not what you think! I _swear_ I thought that was an English textbook!"

Asuna just laughed and snapped the book shut.

"Mm-_hm_. Looks more like _Human Biology_ to me!"

"Asuna! You're terrible!" snapped Konoka, trying to snatch the book away from her. "Now give me that book so I can take it back!"

"_Nuh_-uh," admonished Asuna, waving it above her head and waggling one finger at Konoka. "I'm gonna show this to _Chamo_ and see what he thinks of you, Pure-and-Innocent Konoe Konoka, now!"

"_Asuna!_" gasped Konoka. "You wouldn't!"

"Watch me!"

Konoka, desperate, reached for the book, stepping on Asuna's toes. Crying out in pain, Asuna yanked herself away, only to feel the leather cover slip out of her fingers-

-The door opening with a creak and "Asuna? Konoka? I'm home!"-

-and _thunk_ on the ground at Negi's feet, pages open wide.

"_Oh man," _whispered Asuna, covering her eyes with her hands.

"Huh? What's this-?" said Negi, bending down to take a closer look.

"No, Negi, don't!" cried Konoka, dashing forward but not fast enough-

The boy adjusted his glasses, and peered at the picture. Slowly, his face formed into a puzzled expression.

"Um, Konoka-san...?"

"Uh, yes, Negi?" asked Konoka, trembling, and trying very hard not to think about the picture at the boy's feet.

"Why is that naked man hurting that naked woman?"

"Uh, I'll tell you when you're older, Negi..." she muttered, snatching the book away.

_Hoo _boy. She was _never_ gonna live this down...

* * *

**End Part Three

* * *

**

**ENDNOTE:** some action-y type stuff, but I did try to keep some humour in there, and maybe just a little fluff in the beach scene. And though there wasn't much going on plot-wise, there was still a purpose to this chapter.

Even with the giant spiders, and the booksharks, which I imagined as looking like sharks but sort-of snakelike. And with really, really big teeth.

Hey, It's a magical universe. I can make up whatever crap I like :P

Go on, review- It makes me happy! (click click)


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima is not mine. If it were, Setsuna would suffer from a permanent nosebleed.

**PREFACE:** This chapter is rated 'M', and from now on, the rest of the story will be as well.

Why has the rating gone up? Because I said 'nipple'.

That's right. You heard me. _Nipple._ And I'd do it again too!

Nipples M rating. Deal with it.

* * *

**Egg Belly**

* * *

**Part Four**

* * *

'_-and as you can see, Sudso is by far the most effective detergent for removing unnecessary stainage! You're tuned into Late Night Shop-a-thon, the most informative infomercial on television!'_

Asuna felt her head dip towards the arm of the couch, but forced herself to be alert as footsteps made their way along the hall.

"_...was nice going ice-skating with you, Set-chan! I didn't even know you could go skating in summer."_

"_Shh, Kono-chan, it's late and everyone's asleep. But yes, it was good. I only found out about the rink because of Akira..."_

Keys jingled, and there was a sound of rustling cloth, and a faint _'Mmm...'_

Asuna sat up straighter.

"_...goodnight, Kono-chan."_

"_...g'night, Set-chan," _and Konoka giggled, perhaps a little breathless. The keys jingled again, and as Setsuna left –footsteps quite loud down the hall at this time of night- Konoka walked in.

Asuna looked up at her from the couch, tipping her head back to flash an upside down grin at the flushed and slightly dishevelled brunette.

"Oh! Asuna! I didn't know you were still up," began Konoka, shifting guiltily.

"Mm-hm," said Asuna lazily, rolling into a long stretch and eventually standing up. "You bet I was. I was waiting for you to come home and tell me all the _sordid_ details of your most recent, _thrilling_ sexual escapade." 

Asuna waggled her eyebrows.

"I mean, you guys have been dating for what, three months now? Hell, I'm surprised you guys haven't _gotten it on_ yet, hey Konoka?"

"_Asuuuuuuna! Don't talk like that!"_ wailed the flustered brunette, tossing a shoe in her direction.

"Hey, watch it! That had a heel!"

"_I'll show you a heel!"_ growled Konoka, scooping up a discarded pair of slippers.

"Hey!" 

Ducking behind the couch, the red head raised her arms to stop the barrage of discarded shoes. After narrowly ducking a boot, and as the stream of missiles slowed to a stop, she carefully peeked over the top of the couch.

Konoka was standing in front of the coffee table, sandal dangling loosely from her fingers, her pretty face creased into a frown.

Asuna stood up and folded her arms.

"Okay, what's up? A minute ago you were lil' Miss Let's-Throw-Shoes-At-Asuna, and now you're all pouty."

Konoka sighed.

"I don't know... and I wasn't pouting." She added, sticking her tongue out. Asuna raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh. C'mon, sit down, and tell me all about it." The redhead vaulted over the couch and landed on the remote.

_Click._

'_-your man not doing it for you ladies? Is he as limp as an overcooked noodle? Then tell him to try our patented nasal delivery technology-'_

"Eew." Asuna grimaced, clicking the TV off, "there's an image I could've done without. Anyway, what's the matter? _Is Set-chan not doing it for you?_"

"Asuna, that's not funny." Snapped the brunette, dropping the shoe, and throwing herself onto the couch.

"I'm sorry- I couldn't resist."

Konoka rolled her eyes and fidgeted a little. After watching her twist in her seat for about five minutes, Asuna was beginning to wonder whether she should prod her into talking when the other girl blurted out "I think Set-chan doesn't find me sexy!"

Not expecting that at all, Asuna tumbled sideways off her seat.

_Whump!_

"What the hell are you talking about girl? Have you _seen_ the way shorty looks at you?! Gawd," muttered Asuna, rubbing her legs and untangling herself from the coffee table.

"But, but, well, she hasn't _done_ anything!" cried Konoka, clutching a cushion to her chest.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, having an idea where this was going, and not particularly liking it.

"'Done anything'? Do I even want to know-?"

Konoka flushed, and shifted a little more. "I mean, sure she kisses me an' stuff, but she never... never... _touches me_," finished the girl in a whisper.

"Oh," said Asuna, praying to any and all gods that Chamo wasn't listening in on this conversation, the little pervert. 

"I mean, after the incident at Library Island I thought we were getting somewhere-"

"Wait, what? What _incident_ at Library Island?" asked Asuna.

"-but since Yue interrupted us, Set-chan doesn't seem to want to... well, you know." finished Konoka mournfully.

"Well, uh... I don't really know what to say, Konoka..."

She shifted herself then, a little uncomfortable. It was one thing to joke about your best friend having sex; it was another thing entirely when she wanted advice on how to.

"Um. Maybe you should, just, you know, _ask. _I'm pretty sure that Set-chan would be happy to... uh, _touch_ you."

"Oh Asuna!" cried Konoka, beet red, and wiggling about, "I can't do that! It'd be so... so... _improper_!"

Asuna couldn't help but grin then, an image of the all-too uptight Set-chan waving her arms emphatically coming to mind: _oh,__we mustn't ojou-sama! It is improper!_

"I mean, come on," wailed Konoka, scooting back and forth across the couch, "Whatever would she think of me?!"

"Probably that you're a horny little bi-"

"_Asuna!_"

"-who wants to get lai-"

"_ASUNA!_"

The frustrated brunette buried her head in her hands.

"What am I going to do?"

"Beats me." Asuna stood and stretched, glancing around the apartment. "Who knows? You're not gonna ask her, so maybe you could, I dunno, try to get her interested." 

Konoka hung her head in despair.

"How the heck do I do that, Asuna? I don't know how to be sexy!"

Asuna scratched her head, and turned back to the girl. "Well, you could always try wearing a nice outfit, or putting on..." she trailed off when her eyes flicked over the photos on the walls. 

Over one _particular_ photo taken on a _certain_ field trip many years ago...

Two girls, one dressed in a very elaborate kimono...

_Bingo._

"Hey, Konoka?," began the redhead, a sly look blossoming across her features, "How long's it been since you last dressed up?"

* * *

It was very early in the morning, so Chisame was both cat-eared and disgruntled when she opened the door, her expression no less scary for all that she growled through a crack.

"And what do _you_ want?" snarled the girl, glasses flashing and kitty-ears slowly slipping down her head. "I was busy with a photo-shoot."

"Uh..." began Konoka, momentarily distracted by the ears, which were now down about the cosplayer's neck. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and forced herself to continue, sure that this was a bad idea...

"Um, I'm here to get some help. I heard that you were the one to see about sexy costumes, so, uh, can I come in?" whispered the brunette, glancing around at the deserted hall.

"'Sexy costumes'? Who the hell have you been talking to?"

"No-one, no-one!" said Konoka hastily. Chisame eyed her sceptically.

"Look... I've got something you might want to consider seeing before you turn me away..." wheedled Konoka, waving a large envelope.

A large, _yellow_ envelope. Such as the type one would keep evidence in...

"What's in it?"

"Not telling!" said Konoka, tucking it into her jacket. "Let's just say that you're going to be very _interested_ in what's inside..."

Chisame narrowed her eyes. Perhaps it would be best if the airhead came inside.

"Did anyone one follow you?"

"Uh, no...?"

"Then hurry up," snapped Chisame, opening the door and yanking the taller girl inside. Slamming it shut, she rammed the bolts home.

"Look, I don't know why _you_ of all people would get into cosplay-"

"Well," chirped Konoka, smiling, "I just want to find a costume that makes me look-"

"–and frankly, I don't care. Just exactly _why_ should I help you?" finished the other girl, tossing her hair back.

"Because if you don't, I show these pictures to Asakura." Said Konoka sweetly, rummaging in the envelope, and fanning out the photographs clutched in her hands. 

Chisame blanched.

"See, this one's of you as that evil lady from Biblion, and this is you as the same person but in your underwear-"

No longer white, the bespectacled girl seemed to be turning faintly green in a shade reminiscent of cabbage.

"-and this is one of you kissing Negi."

"_How the hell did you get your hands on that?!"_ screeched Chisame, not green but incandescent red, hands clawing for the photo.

"Now, now," scolded Konoka, tucking the pictures back into their envelope, "it's not the only copy I have, so you've got nothing to gain by ruining it. And besides, you'd be an _idiot_ to think that Chamo didn't take pictures when you made a pactio. I know he did for the one that me an' Set-chan made, but she was smart enough to break his camera afterwards." 

Chisame ground her teeth, and shoved her glasses back on her nose.

"Fine. Not like I care." Trying very hard to appear effortlessly nonchalant, Chisame folded her arms. "You'll burn those if I help you, right?"

"Not a chance in hell," said Konoka happily, "but I _will_ make sure no one but Chamo gets their filthy paws on them."

The cosplayer scowled, but knew it was the best she was going to get.

"Fine, I'll goddamn help you. But you don't tell a soul, you hear? If word of this gets out, I'm going to stick indecent photos of you all over the net, okay?"

"Okay! Now, where do you keep those costumes?"

"Hey! Don't go anywhere near those!" barked Chisame. "We've got a lot of work to do before I let you even look at those costumes. And call me Chiu when I'm working."

"Okay, Chiu-san! Hey, this looks pretty-"

"_Don't touch that!_ It's very expensive!"

_Rrrrip...!_

"Whoopsie."

Chisame rubbed her eyes. _Oy Vey_, this was going to be a long day...

* * *

"Look, just put the damn glasses back on will you? Lots of people have a thing for girls with glasses."

"But they make my eyes hurt..." whined Konoka, pinching her nose where the frame dug in.

"Suck it up, bitch! You're a cosplayer now!" snapped Chisame, circling around Konoka. "You don't know the meaning of the word pain! Hm. The librarian get up is okay, but you'd look better with your hair up... come here," she barked, yanking the brunette closer with one hand and sticking pins in her hair with the other.

"Ow! Ow! Owie! You're pulling my hair!"

"Do you want to look good for your girlfriend or what? You won't look like a real librarian unless you've got a French roll."

"...but... Set-chan says I look good with my hair down..."

"Oh, quit blubbering. See, I'm done. Now stand up straight," commanded Chisame, slapping Konoka on the ass. The brunette jerked upwards with a squeak, and turned tearfully indignant eyes on the other girl.

Chisame narrowed her eyes.

"The trick with cosplay is that you've got to work with what you have. You look too innocent to play your standard evil character, and you're too well-endowed to go for the Lolita look, but you can do nurse, and teacher, and librarian, and do them well."

Standing back, she looked her over once more, and bent down to adjust a carefully exposed garter.

"Well. It'll do." She brushed a few locks of hair out of Konoka's eyes, and tweaked her neckline a little.

"Step over in front of the camera. And hold these," she added, thrusting textbooks into the girl's arms.

Konoka, humiliated, in pain, and more than a little chilly in a very short pinstripe skirt (with matching frilly blouse and low-cut jacket), glared at the camera.

"Not bad. You've got the smouldering look down pat! Now hold that face and..." _Click._

"Chisam- Chiu-sama, can I put these books down yet? And put some real clothes on?"

"Huh? Sure, whatever, kiddo. Just make sure you put them on the correct hangers. The clothes, not the books," added the becostumed Chisame –the kitty ears were gone, replaced by a bunny costume with corresponding ears- seating herself in front of the computer.

Listening to the faint rustling sounds of the brunette changing, Chisame flicked through the photos she'd taken.

Hm. Now the question was, _what kind of girl would Setsuna like?_

From the little she knew of her, Chisame had already gotten kendo-girl pegged as the 'badass yet bashful' type; unafraid to use one's awesome l33t skillz on all manner of ferocious beasts, but nose-bleeding putty in front of the girl.

With these pictures, Konoka was going to rock her socks off!

Leaning back in her chair, Chisame briefly considered keeping some copies of the pics for blackmail material.

_Hm, but then I don't really want to die from multiple sword wounds if dear 'Set-chan' finds out I've got naughty pictures of her girl... better just print them, and wipe 'em._

"You know, in retrospect, it was kinda fun dressing up with you today Chiu-sama!" chirped Konoka, emerging from the bathroom and looking extremely grateful to be back in average clothes again, "Even if you are a domineering bi- ooh! Are those my photos?"

"Yeah, whatever," grunted Chisame, shoving them into an envelope, "Here- just show them to your girl, and whatever she likes best- well you'll know. Glasses, kimonos, even kitty ears- if you know what you need to wear, it shouldn't be too hard to stun her senseless."

Konoka smiled down at her envelope, tossing the other set of photos onto the computer desk.

"Here you go- as agreed, one set of incriminating evidence. And thanks for your help today!"

_Like I would've helped you if you didn't have those pictures dangling over my head. And it wasn't fun,_ thought Chisame stubbornly, but gave the girl a wave when she left anyway.

Finally alone, she dropped the bastard photos into the shredder and sighed with relief when the strips came out.

At least no one else had found out about them... now on to check Mahora Newsblog and then see if she could find something to use as inspiration for her next shoot-

_Exposed! Underground Cosplay Strip Club!_

"What!?" screeched Chisame, pointing at the screen and the scantily-clad picture of herself in her underwear, costume falling down about her.

Her phone beeped, and the stunned cosplayer reached for it without taking her eyes off the screen.

_In case you're wondering, that's for pulling my hair :P Don't worry, Asakura only had that photo. She types fast, doesn't she?_

That little bitch!

"_I'll get you for that, Konoka! Hell hath no fury like a cosplayer scorned!_" 

* * *

Giggling, Konoka darted from doorway to doorway, envelope clutched tightly in her hot little hands. Looking down at the bright yellow paper, she couldn't help but grin conspiratorially.

_If anyone saw these, I'd be in so much trouble..._

She hugged the envelope to her chest. Ooh, she felt so very _sneaky_ wandering around with something so... _naughty_ and trying not to be caught by anyone. She'd narrowly missed being pegged by the cheerleaders, and had needed to swing around the back halls of the dormitory to avoid that nosy Asakura and her no-good sidekick Sayo, but she'd done it!

_Yes!!_ Thought Konoka, striking a victory pose. She was on the home stretch! _Nothing can stop me now!-_

"Whatcha got there, Konoka-ne-san?"

"_Waah! Holy crap! Fumika!_" shrieked Konoka, jumping a foot in the air at the sudden appearance of one half of Mahora's pink-haired ninja duet. "I mean, what are you doing here, Fumika-chan?" asked a shell-shocked brunette, trying to piece her composure back together.

"Oh, _nothing_," grinned the girl, eyes flashing with mishief. "What's in the envelope?"

"Uh, also _nothing_," said Konoka, backing away, and holding the envelope up towards her shoulders.

"Really? Why are you carting around an envelope with nothing in it?" 

"_Holy crap! Fuka!_ What the _hell_ are you doing up there?!" gasped Konoka, making no attempt at a civilised façade as the other pink-haired ninja swung into view.

She stumbled back as Fuka, hanging upside down from the rafters, snatched the envelope from her trembling hands.

"_Hey, there's something in this, ne-chan!"_

"_Ooh, give me a look!"_

"Hey, give that back!" snapped Konoka as the envelope flew over her head and into Fumika's waiting hands. "Don't open that- oh, boy," sighed the brunette, outstretched hand going limp as the twins –Fuka flipping from the rafters to land by her twin sister, both clad in matching shinobi outfits- pawed through her photos and went quiet.

_Oh no. Please no... _

She flinched as both girls looked towards each other, eyebrows raised and eyes wide.

_Oh great. Here it comes._ Konoka slapped her hands over her face.

"Wow!" gushed Fumika, eyes sparkling "these photos are so cool!"

"Yeah! How come you didn't tell us you were playing dress-up, Konoka-ne-san?" asked Fuka, waving the photos excitedly.

"Now girls, it's not what it looks- wait, what? Dress-up?" asked Konoka, very confused. Where were the cries of 'harlot' and 'whore'?

"Yeah! These costumes are awesome! Where'd you get them?"

"And can we play dress up too? Please?"

"Please? Oh, let us, Konoka-ne-san!"

"Now girls," began Konoka, and stopped.

_Wait a minute..._ Konoka grinned, and if the twins hadn't been so busy begging to know where the costumes had come from, they would've noticed the evil smile on her face.

"Well," said Konoka, clapping her hands together, "those costumes aren't actually mine, girls, so I can't let you play with them-"

"_Awwwwww..._"

"-but if you give me back my envelope, I might just tell you who owns them."

"Really? Here's your envelope and your photos!" said the girls simultaneously, thrusting them at her, and bouncing excitedly on the spot.

"Thankyou, Fuka-chan. Now you promise you will say hi to Chisame-chan for me and tell her I sent you?"

"'_course we will! C'mon, Fuka! We gotta go see Chisame-ne-san!"_

"_Yeah! I wanna be a Bunny Girl!"_

"_I wanna be a Sailor Scout!"_

"_Then I'll be Tuxedo Mask! What? I like dressing up as boys too!"  
_Konoka sighed, and watched the twins run off. "Thank god. Although I definitely think I should be more cautious," she muttered, resisting the urge to bolt down the hall.

"Slowly does it..." said Konoka quietly, trying to be serious, but unable to stop herself from smiling.

She could almost _see_ Chisame's face when she opened the door to those two...

* * *

Konoka slunk into the apartment. It was two o'clock on a Saturday afternoon- the place just as neat and tidy as she'd left it this morning, and no one at home.

Negi'd still be at school, marking papers, and Asuna was on her afternoon paper run for the evening edition. Now all she had to do was have a shower, put on something nice, and wait for Set-chan to come over later...

And then show her the photos.

She shivered a little, and looked down in trepidation at the yellow envelope in her shaking hands.

_Oh, if Set-chan doesn't like them, I'll just die!_

_But then again, if she does..._

Konoka blushed, heat rising in her cheeks and something tingling in her stomach. _Oh, if Set-chan likes the pictures, who knows what will happen..._ thought Konoka dreamily, thinking of her dark-haired swordswoman sweeping her off her feet, kissing her passionately and tumbling her into bed, where they'd-

"Ooh! I can't even think like that!" giggled Konoka, dirty thoughts erupting into steam. Feeling a little shy and self-conscious (and more than a little horny), she decided that maybe a glass of cold water would cool her thoughts a little, and heading towards the kitchen, envelope dangling from her hands.

There was a skittering sound, and a faint _whump_. Konoka jerked her head up and looked around, drink forgotten.

Was someone-?

"Whatcha got there, huh sweetheart?"

Konoka shrieked as a furry streak apparently hiding behind the fruit-bowl on the table leapt into her arms, snatched the envelope and dashed off.

_What? Oh no, not Chamo-!_

"Give me those photos, you vermine ermine!" screeched Konoka, leaping for the fuzzy pervert and missing as Chamo, faster than any weasel alive and twice as quick when it came to getting his paws on something he shouldn't, bounced across the living room, jumped onto a low-lying bookcase and leapt onto the top shelf of the TV cabinet.

"Photos?" said Chamo, sucking thoughtfully on his cigar, "you don't mind if I have a look-see, eh Konoka-ne-chan?"

"Of course I mind! Those photos are mine!" yelled Konoka, pushing the coffee table towards the cabinet and jumping on top. On her tiptoes, she could just reach the tip of Chamo's fuzzy white tail...

Chamo whistled, low and long and loud.

"_Well hellooooo nurse_! And teacher, and secretary. And _librarian_..." grinned the ermine, flicking through the photos with practised ease.

"Chamo! Put those down, or so help me-!" Konoka was straining now, wobbling on the edge of the table, fingers straining to grab the enevelope.

"Heh heh heh... wonder how much reporter-san would pay to get her hands on these?" mused Chamo, launching into full blown 'dirty old man' mode. Shoving the pictures in the envelope, he waved it triumphantly, narrowly missing the lazily spinning fan a mere ten centimetres above him.

"Those are some neat pictures, Konoka-ne-chan! Didn't know you had it in you!"

"_Chamo, you furry old pervert! Give. Them. Back-!"_

Her fingers closed on the edge of the envelope at the same time her foot slipped off the edge of the table, and also at the exact same time the door opened.

"Kono-chan? I hope you don't mind me coming over early- oh!"

Setsuna dashed forward as Konoka fell, every motion slowed, Chamo looking on in horror as the table tipped forward, the girl fell back, and the yellow envelope clutched lightly in her fingertips went up and collided with the fan-

_Whirrrrrrr-chunk! Wrrrrippp! Bang!_

Konoka, expecting a short fall with a painful landing was a little surprised to find herself in Set-chan's arms, the shorter girl balanced perfectly on the edge of the now-still coffee table.

_That loud bang must've been the coffee table righting itself. But what was the ripping sound?_ Thought Konoka, smiling up at a relieved Set-chan, then reaching up to brush something yellow out of her hair-

Wait. The envelope-

Konoka felt like crying as she looked down to see the room littered with scraps of envelope, floating down like papery, yellow snow, and her photographs, miraculously unharmed, spread out on the ground and Setsuna's feet.

_Oh no..._

Gently, Setsuna lowered her to the ground.

"You must be careful, Kono-chan- if I had not caught you," said Setsuna softly, arms still about her girlfriend's waist, "you might have gotten-"

Stepping off the table, her foot slipped on a shiny piece of paper. Bending down, she picked it up-

"-hurt..." whispered Setsuna.

And stopped. And stared, and looked to the other pictures scattered before her.

Konoka bit her lip, and felt hot tears prick her eyes.

"Kono-chan...? What _are_ these?" whispered Setsuna, confusion and something like betrayal written across her face.

Chamo, realising he was going to be in it deep and head down if Setsuna noticed he was there, decided to act in the finest tradition of ermine males everywhere, and ran away.

Konoka just stood, and shook, and when Setsuna turned to her, scrunched her eyes shut against the tears dripping down her face.

The door, still half open, swung wide as Asuna pushed her way inside.

"I'm glad that's over. Hey Konoka, you won't _believe_ how many papers I had to throw today!" laughed the redhead, tossing her bag onto the floor and kicking her shoes off, oblivious to the tableau in front of her. "I swear, my right arm is going to fall off- um, what happened here?" she asked, taking in the scraps of yellow paper littering the room, and the trembling, troubled girls in front of her. "Konoka, Setsuna? What's going on?"

Setsuna whirled around, stalked over to the door and thrust a photograph under her nose.

"That's what I'd like to know, _Asuna-san_. What the _hell_ are these?! Why are there photos of _my Ojou-sama_ in... in... in these _poses_ and _costumes_ littered all over the floor?!" snapped the swordswoman, trembling with barely suppressed rage.

"Um, what? Ah crap..." said Asuna, snatching the photo, "I really didn't think Chisame would take it this far..."

She scratched her head nervously, tossing the photo down onto the coffee table.

"_Chisame?_" snarled Setsuna, "then _she_ was the one responsible for this?! _I'm going to slit her__neck to navel_-"

"Uh, you do that..." murmured Asuna, flinching away towards the door, not liking at all the murderous look in Setsuna's eyes.

"_Stop it. Stop it, Set-chan."_

Konoka jerked her head up, tears rolling down her cheeks, brown eyes furious.

"Don't you yell at Asuna like that! And don't you threaten Chisame either! _I_ was the one who wanted those photos, Set-chan! _Me_! _I_ was the one that got dressed up, who posed like that, who wanted to dress up for _you_!"

Fists bunched, the girl strode angrily over to Setsuna, and snatched the photos out of her hands.

"Uh, guys, I think I'm gonna go and check on Negi... bye!" yelped Asuna, and darted out the door. Neither girl noticed.

"But... Kono-chan... why?" pleaded Setsuna, stumbling back. "Why would you... and those clothes... Kono-chan, I don't understand..."

Konoka sniffed, and smudged the tears off her cheeks, mumbling something.

Perplexed, Setsuna leaned forward.

"I didn't quite catch that..."

"_...I just wanted you to think I was sexy_," whispered Konoka, in a voice smaller than an ant.

Setsuna reeled back like she'd been slapped in the face with a halibut.

"Whaaa-? Kono-chan! _Of__course_ I think you're sexy!" blurted Setsuna, then gulped as Konoka jerked her head up incredulously. "I mean..."

The short swordswoman dragged in a deep breath, taking the brunette's hands in hers.

"Kono-chan... I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever _seen_. And smart and funny and kind to boot." Reaching out a hand, she smoothed the tears off Konoka's cheeks. "I'm very, very lucky you wanted me to be your pactio partner... and your girlfriend, and there's not a day that goes by when I'm not grateful. I love you very much Kono-chan," and her left arm slunk around Konoka's waist, pulling the girl close. 

Konoka felt shivery and tingly all over, and something like butterflies burst into life in her stomach when she realised Setsuna's mouth –her very soft, very kissable mouth- was only inches from her own.

"And... and I do think you're very... _sexy_," continued Setsuna, in a husky, silky voice.

Konoka shivered as pale heat flooded the half-demon's eyes, making them burn with smoky grey fire, and the fingertips resting on her lower back traced circles through her shirt.

"Very, _very_ sexy," purred Setsuna, tilting the girl's chin and kissing her soundly. Konoka made a noise caught somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and sunk into Setsuna's arms.

Some time passed, and when they came up from air, Setsuna smiled up at Konoka.

"I'm sorry I never told you that. I thought you knew, considering what happens to me every time I see you half-dressed, or wet, or half-dressed _and_ wet..." Setsuna trailed off sheepishly, and scratched the back of her head.

Konoka giggled, and pulled her close.

"I'm sorry too, Set-chan."

Setsuna hugged her back, and then, feeling a little daring, whispered in her ear _"I did like the nurse outfit..."_

Konoka blushed, and bit her lip.

"Who knows, Set-chan? _Maybe you'll get to see it again one day..."_ whispered back Konoka.

The two of them smiled at each other for a little while, foreheads touching, before Konoka sighed and pulled away.

"I suppose we'd better get this mess cleaned up before Negi gets home..."

"I'll get the vacuum if you do something with those photos?" offered Setsuna, giving the girl's hand a squeeze.

"Sure!" said Konoka, and squeezed back.

* * *

"Phew! That took longer than I thought it would..." yawned Konoka, flopping onto the couch an hour or so later. Stretching her arms up, she rolled her head from side to side and wiggled into a comfy postion on the couch. Setsuna perched herself on the edge of the coffee table.

"Well, at least the place is clean now, Kono-chan."

"are you saying it wasn't clean to begin with?" admonished Konoka, waggling a finger. "Shame on you, Set-chan!" giggled Konoka and winked.

Setsuna just smiled, and leaned forward with her head on her hands.

Konoka smiled back, eyes soft and warm.

"What _are _you looking at, Set-chan?"

"you," said Setsuna softly. "Just looking at you, and thinking how much I love you, and how much I'm sorry that I overreacted."

Konoka blushed a little, and her eyes were sparkling with happiness as she threw her arms about Setsuna's neck.

"I'm sorry too Set-chan. I should've just talked to you about it. And I do love you very, very much."

Setsuna nuzzled into Konoka's neck, pressing a kiss under the taller girl's ear.

Shifting from the table, she sat next to the brunette, and kissed her, gently, on the lips.

Again, lingering a little longer this time.

And again, as Konoka's arms wound themselves about her neck, pulling her closer. Her arms snaked around Konoka's back, stroking her fingers up and down her spine, kissing her deeper still.

Konoka moaned against her mouth, and one of the swordswoman's hands slipped to the girl's hip, sliding up her back. Konoka moaned again, and Setsuna could feel the blood pounding in her ears as she pushed the girl back against the arm of the couch, leaning over her. She pulled back, and Konoka moaned in protest.

"Close your eyes," Setsuna whispered, lips brushing her temple.

Konoka did, sending the black-haired girl a heated look between sooty lashes, before her eyes sighed closed.

Trembling a little, Setsuna pressed a kiss to each eye, then her ojou-sama's cheek, and finally against the racing pulse in Konoka's smooth, white throat.

Konoka whimpered a little as Setsuna's hands traced delicate lines up her sides, fingers splaying gently over her breasts.

Trembling at her own daring, Setsuna traced a line of kisses from below Konoka's ear to the very top of her buttoned shirt, and feeling strangely aroused, flicked her tongue into the shadowy valley between Konoka's breasts.

One of Konoka's arms slid up her back, hand scrunching in her hair, fingernails scraping lightly against her skin.

Something hot blossomed in Setsuna's stomach; something not unpleasant, but new and a little discomforting. She felt far too... primal, now; wanted to do too many half-thought things to the very vulnerable young woman before her, but knowing that she shouldn't...

Setsuna pulled back at the moment the girl moaned and arched her back, head tossed back and dark hair spilling over the arm of the chair.

"_Please, Set-chan... don't stop..."_

Those words sent a frission of pleasure down Setsuna's spine, and, all reasons why she shouldn't forgotten, she leant down to kiss her ojou-sama again, one hand sliding up underneath Konoka's shirt, and, slowly, into her bra, brushing against a soft, warm breast.

To Konoka, the soft touch felt like lightening, hands locking about the other girl and pulling her down, nipping at her earlobe and taking it between her teeth.

Setsuna hissed in surprise, goosebumps racing across her skin, fire coursing down her body and arched her back to free her hands, closing them on the collars of Konoka's shirt, and as Konoka's tongue darted into her ear, pulled-

Buttons pinged off the table, but Setsuna didn't care, that hot, sparking feeling a thousand time more powerful now, bending down to bury her head between Konoka's full, heaving breasts, hands clutching at the brunette's waist, dropping kisses across her chest-

Konoka digging her hands into Setsuna's hair, arching her back to cry out as Setsuna pushed her fingers into a cup and lifted out her breast, mouth closing over the pert, pink nipple-

_Jingle, jingle, click. Creeeeeak..._

Dimly, Setsuna registered the sound of the door opening, but the meaning of this didn't occur until she heard Asuna say "holy shit."

Raising her head –so tempting just to go back down, ignore the sound, and lick a wet path down Konoka's stomach- Setsuna looked up at the girl frozen in the doorway with dazed, smoky eyes.

Konoka whimpered in protest, eyes languid and half-closed.

"_What is it, Asuna? You've frozen in the doorway! If something's going on, I want to see-"_

The sound of Negi's voice shattered the daydream Setsuna had found herself in, and jerking back in horror at the stunned look on Asuna's face, the girl bracing herself in the doorway to stop the boy teacher from barging in.

"_Whatever is going on in there? Let me see, Asuna!-"_

"Kono-chan," whispered Setsuna, "you might want to try and do something about your shirt..."

"Hm? Wha-?" murmured Konoka, still not understanding why her Set-chan had stopped doing all those deliciously naughty things to her, "Why did you- Asuna?" she asked, jerking upright and pulling her ripped shirt closed about herself.

"Geez Louise, I expected you guys to make-up, not to get _down and dirty_-" began Asuna, shaking her head.

"_Who's getting dirty?! Asuna, move! I want to see!"_

"Set-chan, I think- you'd better-" said Konoka, still dazed, mouth swollen with kisses, hair in complete disarray.

"I've got to go Kono-chan," whispered Setsuna, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the girl's mouth, "but I will see you tomorrow night. I'll take you out to dinner, and I'll call you later to let you know where." She smiled, and with just the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks, kissed Konoka soundly, sent an embarrassed look at Asuna, and jumped out the living room window.

There was a sound of wings, and Asuna sagged forward, Negi bursting past her and into the room, wand at the ready.

"Alright, what's going- _Konoka-san! Your shirt! It's all ripped!"_

Konoka pressed her fingers to her lips, body still humming pleasantly from her Set-chan's touch.

"Yeah," she whispered dreamily, looking out the window, "yeah, you bet it is, Negi."

* * *

"Hey! I didn't say you two could come in here! Get away from that!" barked Chisame, dodging a carelessly discarded sailor outfit, and trying to get her hands on the pink-haired idiots playing around with her things.

"Wow! Look ne-chan! This costume's got bat wings!"

"Ooh, it does too! Quick, I found Chisame-ne-chan's camera! Smile, Fuka!"

_Click. Whirrrrr-rrr-rrr-chk. Clunk-a-clunk. Ka-chunk._

"Oh-oh! I think it's broken!"

Chisame resisted the urge to pull her hair out, and tried unsuccessfully to close her hands about Fumika's neck, missing as the ninja flipped past her and darted into her closet.

"You give me that back you little brat! And stay away from my costume rack!"

* * *

**End Part Four**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **Next chapter coming soon, time and assignments allowing, because I is a Uni Student now.

And yes, there will be nipples. XD

Clicky clicky! The button's over there -------


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima is not mine. If it were, Setsuna would suffer from a permanent nosebleed.

**PREFACE:** not much to say, really. Sorry for the wait. I was, uh, busy?

:hides behind chair:

Not as funny or light-hearted as the previous chapter, this being an inevitable plot-chapter, and therefore somewhat longer, but hopefully it will set the scene for what is still to come...

Still M-rated. For smut-based content this time, not nipples.

On with the show...

* * *

**Egg Belly**

* * *

**Part Five**

* * *

"_Hello? Head master? You wanted to see me?"_

_The room is empty, just black space and a desk and a chair. A big leather chair, with a tall backrest, turns away from her as she walks, bare feet rasping against carpet but in reality taking step after step into darkness._

_She stops in front of the desk. The chair swerves round again. Konoka crosses her legs with a soft rasp of silk against silk, and rests her feet on the desk in front of her._

"_Hello Set-chan," she whispers huskily._

"_Um, O-ojou-sama?? Where's the h-head master?"_

_Konoka leans forward. All she could see was her mouth as the brunette smiles, slowly, evilly, and sweeps her pink tongue in a laviscous arc over her lips._

"_You don't need to worry about grandpa, Set-chan..." Konoka brushes her long brown hair back with one delicate hand movement, and fixes her heated gaze on the slender woman in front of her. "It's just you and me in here."_

_Surprisingly quick, Konoka pushes the chair back from the desk, swings long legs off the table, and stalks towards her._

"_Oh. Uh, Ojou-sama, what are you doing...?"_

"_Is that all you can say, Set-chan? Is the only thing you can ask when you see me like this 'what are you doing?'?"_

_Konoka takes her chin in her hands, forces her gaze along and down her shapely form._

"_Um... o-oh!"_

_She looks down. Looks up and away. She doesn't want to see the woman standing before her, doesn't want to see her ojou-sama dressed so._

_Oh, but she's _lying_. _

_Konoka lets her go, and there is something wanton in brown eyes._

_Konoka pins her to the desk, takes her hand, and guides it to trace over stiff, boned corsetry and soft, silky stockings._

_Lace catches beneath her fingernails. Konoka smiles again, and sweeps her protesting, trembling fingers up a warm thigh, over a delicate garter and across soft, smooth skin. Konoka is grinning now; her lips parted so slightly, curved in the very essence of wickedness, and smoothes her hand downwards._

_Konoka isn't wearing underwear. _

_Corset, yes- silk and lace and ribbons of satin and boning all combining to shape her soft, curving silhouette into something wet dreams are made of._

_Her mouth runs dry at the sight of those devastating curves. Something like a moan trickles past her lips._

_Stockings, yes- soft and very thin, enough to feel even softer skin beneath them as her hands tingle with the memory of her fingertips trailing over her ojou-sama so..._

_Her stomach twists and liquid fire sizzles down her veins, pumping in hot streams from her heart to her groin._

Oh. Oh, oh, oh. Oh... Kono-chan...

_Trembling, she looks up. Aching desire eats its way through her, tracing thin red lines of _want _from every nerve under the skin that brushes against Konoka's body._

"_Please, Set-chan. I want you, Set-chan. I need you, Set-chan-"_

Setsuna jerks awake from the feel of cold steel pressed against her forehead. There is a gun in her face, and she doesn't particularly like it there.

She brushes the barrel aside, wipes sweat off her forehead, rubs sweating hands on her sheets, and scowls up at a disinterested Mana.

"What?" she snaps, feeling angry and more than a little guilty and not knowing why.

Mana's mouth is grim, but her eyes are dark with something malevolent.

"You know, you were calling her name out. Loud enough for anyone to hear."

Setsuna's ears burn, but she tries to ignore it. She wants to ask how the hell the dark-haired mercenary got into her locked, secured and warded room, but knows it's pointless.

This is Mana, after all.

"'_Kono-chan, oh, Kono-chan_...'"

"Cram it, Mana. And put that damn gun away." Setsuna jerks the bedcovers off and scrambles into some clothes.

Mana throws Yuunagi at her. Even though her back is turned, Setsuna still catches it.

"C'mon, _lovebird_. You might be Konoka's in your dreams, but between the hours of four and six in the morning, you're mine."

Setsuna grunts something that could be a reply. She doesn't care too much for patrolling this early in the morning, and though she follows Mana out the door, her heart lies elsewhere.

She can still remember the feel of those stockings beneath her fingertips...

She flushes. Mana sends her a curious look, insofar as Mana can look curious about anything.

Setsuna says nothing.

* * *

Four demons, unlucky enough to slip through the wards laid over Mahora, meet the business end of a nodachi with perhaps a little too much force.

Setsuna grunted, and flicked black blood off her blade with a distasteful expression.

Mana frowned and leant against a tree.

"You seem distracted."

"Yes, well, if you were woken up with a gun in _your_ face, wouldn't you be a little edgy?" snapped Setsuna, ramming Yuunagi home into the sheath held in trembling hands.

Mana stared at her, eyebrows cocked. She blinked. Setsuna twitched.

"What the hell am I talking about? You probably sleep with a gun under your pillow!"

"On my beside table, actually." Said Mana. "Although I do keep spare cartridges under my mattress."

Setsuna dropped her sword, and turned to Mana. The older woman was calm, even in the face of the blue-veined nerve throbbing in the swordswoman's left temple.

"What is wrong with you this morning?"

"I don't know!" snarled Setsuna, whirling around, and slashing into a demon that materialised with a 'pop' behind her left shoulder.

The three metre tall Cyclops had the intelligence to turn and run, dropping its oversized cleaver as an enraged half-demon launched herself at it at eye-height, fingers curled into long, sharp talons.

"_Gyaaaah!"_

The shriek rang through the forest like a gunshot. Mana sighed and counted to twenty.

By the time she reached eighteen, the demon was little more than a smudge of purple-black in the greenery around them.

"Are you done now?"

Setsuna, trembling, wiped her face with clawed hands, smudging monster blood over her forehead.

"I think so," she whispered quietly.

"Good. Now if you've finished letting out your rage on those poor creatures, whose only flaw is that they want to tear you limb from limb, shall we continue on with our morning stroll?"

Mana wasn't often sarcastic, but when she was, it _stung_.

"Sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me this morning..."

_I could probably make an educated guess_, thought Mana darkly. Great huntress though she was, Setsuna paid little to no attention to the ebb and flow of magic in the world around her- something a shrine maiden like Mana could sense like most people could smell food cooking, and this morning the tides were pulsing around the half-breed like a vortex.

She guessed Setsuna hadn't noticed because, deep down, the girl was ashamed of what she was, and what creature was part of her.

If she merely accepted her demon side, she would've realised that, as she was getting closer and closer to adulthood, so too was the demon inside.

If anything, the dream Mana had caught the conflicted girl in the throes of this morning should have been a warning.

_Great. I've got a half-demon in heat on my hands and she doesn't even realise... I'd better be getting paid extra for this._

"Come on. We've still got to make it once around the lake before we're done."

Setsuna nodded, tucking Yuunagi into her belt, talons slowly sliding back into fingernails.

"Right. And, uh, Mana..."

"Yes?"

"Don't tell the ojou-sama."

"As you wish."

Eyeing the twitching woman, Mana sighed again. Times like this, she was glad she was human...

* * *

Konoka woke with a pleasantly warm tingle in her stomach, and wriggled about under the covers in happiness.

She was going out to dinner with Set-chan tonight...!

Bouncing out of bed, she grinned happily at a sleepy-eyed Asuna.

"Goooooood _morning_!" she chirped. "Isn't it a beautiful day?"

Asuna mumbled something incoherent and stamped off towards the bathroom.

"'morning, Konoka-san!" called out Negi, waving down at her from his loft.

Konoka waved back, and practically fizzing with happiness, danced into the kitchen, tossing her apron over her bunny-print pyjamas.

"I feel like pancakes this morning! You want some Negi?" asked the brunette, rummaging in her fridge for some batter she'd let settle.

"Ooh! Pancakes! Please, Konoka-san!"

Asuna poked her head around the bathroom door. "Pancakes? Let me at 'em."

Whistling a jaunty tune to herself, Konoka poured batter into her frypan, flipping when the batter began to bubble.

Asuna, still grumpy if fresher-faced, sat down at the table. Negi was laying out plates, forks, knives and dropped at least three bottles of maple syrup in the centre of the table.

"Bloody morning people. Can't let the rest of us sleep in..."

"Well, think of it this way, Asuna-san: A happy Konoka-san is one who makes pancakes!" Negi smiled up at her, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"You're such a little kid sometimes, you know that?" said Asuna, though she couldn't help but smile back.

"Here we go!" Konoka appeared then, a plateful of pancakes in her hands, flipping them onto the waiting plates.

"'nk oo," mumbled Negi around a mouthful, already hoeing into the six-strong stack on his plate.

"Not too many for me, Konoka- I've got kendo practice this morning."

"Oh, that's right- maybe I should wrap some up for you to give to Set-chan- knowing her, she hasn't had a proper breakfast this morning," mused Konoka, settling herself into her seat.

"I'm sure _Set-chan_ knows how to take care of herself. You don't need to make her breakfast-"

A loud rapping on the door interrupted Asuna, and as Konoka leapt out of her seat, she shrugged and turned to her stack, squirting maple syrup over her pancakes, and getting quite a bit over Negi in the process.

Konoka yanked the door open.

"Oh! Set-chan!"

Setsuna gave her a short bow, before being bundled into a hug.

"Uh, Good-morning, Kono-chan-"

"_Asuuuna! I'm all sticky! Why'd you have to squirt me?!"_

"_I wasn't intending to, you little twerp. Stay still!"_

Konoka smiled down at her Set-chan's blushing face.

"You're just in time for breakfast, Set-chan! Do you like pancakes?"

"Um, yes, Kono-chan, but uh..." Setsuna paused, and straightened herself up. "Um, I'm not here for breakfast. I came to tell Asuna-san that I won't be able to train her this morning because I-"

"'morning!" called out Asuna, waving her fork. "What's this about you cancelling training? You were the one that told me I shouldn't slack off!"

Setsuna flushed a dull crimson.

"Uh, yeah. I'm afraid that... something has come up this morning, and I can't make it for training. Don't worry; I'll work you twice as hard on Wednesday night." She added, flashing the redhead a grin.

"Great," groaned Asuna, shaking her head "I shouldn't have said anything... thanks for letting me know though."

"Are you alright, Set-chan?" asked Konoka, taking in the sweat on Setsuna's forehead and the fixed smile.

"Hm? Kono-chan? I'm fine. Really. And I'll meet you tonight at this restaurant-" a thin card appeared between her fingers, and she pressed it into Konoka's hand "-and all you have to do is ask for the table for 'Sakurazaki'. I'll meet you there at about seven."

She smiled then, and though it was warm, something worried flickered in her eyes.

Konoka decided to let the matter drop. Her Set-chan seemed to be trying very, very hard to not let her see what was wrong, which said something was very wrong indeed...

"Okay, Set-chan."

"Okay then. I'll see you tonight." Leaning in, she dropped a small kiss on Konoka's cheek, and waved to Negi and Asuna –both too engrossed in their breakfast to notice- before wandering off down the hall.

Konoka shut the door gently, bringing her fingers to her lips as a small frown creased her forehead. Something was up with her Set-chan, and she wanted to know what...

"_Hey, Konoka-san, are you going to finish your pancakes?"_

"_Negi, you little pig! Leave Konoka's pancakes alone!"_

"_But, I'm finished all of mine, Asuna-san..."_

"You two can finish them off- I'm going to get dressed and see what's up with Set-chan!" said Konoka, dashing over towards the wardrobe.

"_Hear that, Asuna-san? She said I could finish her pancakes off!"_

"_Uh-uh- I get first dibs 'cause I'm oldest!"_

"_Nuh-uh! Give me back that pancake! I had it first!_"

* * *

Considering the average speed of a freaked-out half-demon in flight is roughly four times the maximum speed of any standard model car, Setsuna reached the shores of Lake Mahora in considerably less than the forty minutes it took anyone else.

She was shaking when her feet touched damp, pebbly sand. Small wavelets lapped at her feet. Tucking her wings in, she stumbled over to a boulder and sat down.

She held her hands out. They were still twitching and the talons she'd been trying so desperately to hide had slid out again.

"Damn," she hissed, prodding a sharp, wickedly curved fingernail. Her fingernails had always been blunt and thick, but this was ridiculous.

A muscle in her left shoulder spasmed briefly, and it took quite a bit of force to ensure her wings stayed folded.

She could feel her human façade peeling off in layers.

_Great. Just great. The one time I need to stay human it all falls apart._

Any minute now the pigment in her hair and skin would bleed away, and then she'd have a hard time persuading the protective sprites surrounding Mahora's dorm rooms to let her in.

After all, no demons were allowed on campus.

She sighed heavily, and kicked her shoes off –only to find that yes, she had talons where toenails should have been and her socks were shredded beyond repair- pulling her legs up and hugging her knees to her chest.

Flexing her toes, Setsuna winced as razor-edged talons carved furrows in the rock.

What a time for the demon to decide to play.

_But... why now? I was fine yesterday..._

_I mean, I know I felt a little different when I... when I..._

Even alone in the forest, Setsuna's cheeks flamed at the thought of Konoka in her arms. Hurriedly squashing the images that sprang to mind –namely, her Kono-chan quivering with delight- she pushed away the memory of that hot, aching desire that had plagued her for most of last night.

_But surely that was just because I'd never... done that... before. It couldn't have been something demon-related. If it was, I would've known, surely._

"Gah!"

Her shout was loud enough to startle the birds roosting in the trees, and Setsuna slid off her rock to splash angrily into the water as hundreds of pairs of wings beat the air.

A feather, no doubt knocked loose from some poor birds tail, floated down and balanced perfectly on the tip of her nose.

Cross-eyed, Setsuna stared at it.

_Crow feather._

"_Is this some kind of freakin' sign?! What the hell do you want from me?!"_

Scooping up a handful of muddy pebbles, Setsuna threw them at the cloud-patched sky.

They completely failed to hit anything but air, and splashed down over the lake in a tinkling arc.

Muttering something about the general unfairness of the universe, Setsuna stamped carelessly back towards the shore, and tipped off balance when her foot sunk into a hole.

"W-whoa!" arms wheeling, she wobbled madly on the spot, managing to gain some sense of balance before her ankle gave way.

_Splash_!

* * *

There was an excited hubbub inside the main square, and as Konoka grew near, she slowed to an almost stop.

_What the...?_

Half-a-dozen people in lab-coats were pulling what looked to be bodies from a tangled wreck of metal and plastic- the remains of some sort of vehicle.

Three recovery workers pulled and yanked one figure from a cage of jagged, twisted metal. There was a sickening, wet sound, like tearing meat- and all three workers fell backwards, the figure in their arms torn neatly in half.

A slim figure, surveying the carnage from atop a large staircase pulled something out of a backpack- possibly to call for help.

_Oh no. No-!_

Konoka broke into a run, hand thrusting into her pocket for her cards. If she was quick enough, maybe she could-

"_OKAY EVERYONE- THAT'S A WRAP FOR TODAY! LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE HEADING BACK TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS!"_

"Huh?"

Konoka stopped, artefact forgotten. _What the hell is going-? Is that... Satomi?_

Hakase jumped down the stairs, still brandishing her megaphone, though thankfully not as loud.

"Hey, I'm surprised that dummy only got torn in half- who designed it?"

The slim wunderkind straightened her coat, and glasses flashing in the sunshine, lowered her megaphone.

A scientist tentatively raised a hand. Hakase gave a brisk nod of approval.

"You made this?"

"Um... yes...?"

"Good design. What did you use- a form of advanced hydraulics to mimic the natural breaking point of human bone and tendon?"

The scientist nodded, dumbstruck by the praise of one of Mahora's best and brightest.

"I thought so. The design still has flaws, and could possibly benefit from a lower mass ratio- but I can see promise. Well done. Oh, hey Konoka-san. Did you see the planes go down?"

Konoka could only shake her head. What she had taken for a scene of mass carnage, with dead and dying men littered over the square, were only dummies- from here she could see the yellow and black symbol painted on them.

Or, at least on the ones that weren't on fire.

Hakase continued on, oblivious to the stunned brunette.

"-of course, they'll little more than unmanned scout craft, hardly aeroplanes, but still, I think we'll find them useful for surveillance. Pity about the UFO."

One small aircraft, still alight was doused by four men with fire extinguishers, spraying more foam on themselves rather than the still-smouldering aircraft.

"...UFO? Aliens?"

Hakase chuckled.

"Not aliens, Konoka- UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, as in the one that very nearly took out three of our formation." Hakase frowned. "I'd like to know what it was."

"Professor! We've got some video playback from the flight recorder of aircraft #36-A!" called out a researcher, waving a banged-up looking orange box.

"It looks to be some sort of... bird? Bird or not its wing span was over six metres!"

"What? That's impossible-! Even if it was an albatross, why would an albatross be here of all places and interfering with our test-run?!" Hakase rubbed her chin, and started across to the observation tent. "I'm sorry Konoka - I'll have to talk to you later. I've got to sort this out."

Konoka, meanwhile, was having problems of her own.

_Giant bird... wingspan over six metres..._

There was a veritable 'ding!' as the light bulb came on.

"Uh, what direction was it headed?" she asked, startling the researchers and herself both.

"Uh, north I think-" began Hakase, not even looking up from the printout she'd been given.

_North! The lake!_

"Thanks Hakase!"

Hakase, engrossed in the statistics before her, barely even heard her.

_This says that the creature, whatever it was, sped past us at over four hundred kilometres an hour! That's impossible!_

Hakase rubbed her glasses. There was something going on here...

* * *

Setsuna had the sneaking suspicion that, if anyone could see her now, her image as a cool, calm and collected swordswoman would be ruined.

After all, it's not everyday that one sees the resident tough-girl naked and sitting on a rock in the middle of a lake.

She sighed, lifting her head to the sky. She felt so... _strange._

Shaking hands slid over her bare stomach.

So... _hot._

She crouched, leapt, and performed a perfect, mid-air swallow dive into the lake below. Cool water hissed over her skin, bubbles bursting into her field of vision. That twisting heat inside seemed to leach from her bones, dragged out by the clear, cold liquid about her. Setsuna hung in the water, looking down at the blue depths beneath her feet. Ever a creature of the air, to be submerged like this was a peculiar sensation, but not unpleasant.

Looking up, she saw sunlight shimmering through the undulating surface of the lake.

_Even if I want to stay down here, I can't. I can only hold my breath for so long..._

Unthought was the knowledge that the world itself, and all the mysteries it entailed, could only be held off for a little while.

Her head breached the lake's surface smoothly, and her movements as she swam towards shore were even and perfectly rhythmic; the practiced, if not enthusiastic stroke of a competent swimmer.

Since that day, so long ago, she had taken no chances.

Her feet found purchase on the rocky shore, and she slipped a little on uneven stones, but was steady enough as she made her way to her clothes, hung over the branches of a small sapling to dry.

She reached out a hand to grab her shirt-

And stopped.

_Oh. I thought maybe... maybe they would go away if I didn't think about them. I guess not._

She clenched her fingers and winced at the brush of sharp talon against her soft palm.

If Mana were her, no doubt she'd make some smart comment about her state of undress and hand her a nail file; there was no sympathy to be found there, even for all their camaraderie.

_Either that, or she'd offer me an exorcism._

Setsuna sighed. There were changes being made, that she was sure of- changes that could not, _would not_ be controlled by anything she could bring against them. No amount of training from the Shinmeiryuu could stop the flow of demon blood inside, not once it had awoken.

Despite what the mercenary thought, she wasn't entirely ignorant of her heritage.

_I know what I am. I know what I could be. I know that, if I'm not careful, I might slip into the dark._

_But... I'm not afraid of it. Wary, perhaps. Cautious._

_But never afraid._

If she admitted it to herself, the power was very, very tempting. After all, how much better could she protect her Kono-chan from her own kind if she became one...?

_Who better than to slay demons than a demon herself?_

Setsuna shivered. The water beading on her skin was cold, and a chill breeze ruffled the leaves of the forest before her.

Standing in the middle of the wilderness, naked, was not going to help her. At least that aching heat inside had quieted. Later, it could be examined, analysed and dealt with.

For now, it was best just to see what damage had been done, conceal it if possible, and move on.

_Wings are hard enough. Talons, however, for all of their small size, are probably going to be harder to hide..._

Unless she could apply herself with the aforementioned nail file. And possibly some really, really big nail clippers.

Setsuna closed her eyes, found the web of chi and magic that lay so close to her skin, so much more a part of her than anything else could be, felt the fingers of her soul sink into that deceptively delicate barrier-

And tear it open.

The change, when it took her, was violent.

* * *

The Gods of Coincidence and Dramatic Timing were no doubt behind the fact that Konoka took her first step out of the thick forest that bordered the lake at the exact moment the change took Setsuna, throwing her slender form into convulsions.

"Set-chan-?"

Konoka threw her hands over her eyes as light -white, harsh and far, far too bright to have come from the girl before her, surely- washed over her, and the forest, in waves.

Setsuna screamed like a bird in pain; high-pitched and distressed, reverberating through the sky in a loop of agony that seemed to go on and on and on-

Half-blinded, hands splayed over her eyes, Konoka took crunching steps onto the pebbled shore.

Some was calling her Set-chan's name, over and over. She realised it was her.

Then, abruptly, like a note cut-off in a song, the screaming stopped.

The light, which her eyes had just begun to adjust to, flashed out; to Konoka, everything went black. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees, hands grating painfully against the gravel.

She blinked, eyes closing and opening until, eventually, she could see a pale figure slumped against the stony ground, water lapping at their small, dainty feet.

The name of the woman she loved slipped out from between her parted lips through no action of her own; dazed, she closed her mouth and swallowed.

Words left her. An intellect capable enough to pass through high school with little to no effort, and to understand the mechanics behind the increasingly complicated incantations she leant from Evangeline, deserted her.

Painfully, Konoka raised herself up, rubbing at the bruises forming on bare knees.

Head aching, she took three steps forward.

_Oh, Set-chan..._

The figure before her was stolen from a fairy-tale. No creature as beautiful had ever existed in her world; no sweet angel such as this had ever lain prone at her feet.

Setsuna grimaced, breath stirring the long hair that ghosted over her face. Slowly, her eyes opened, and, lifting her head, she winced.

"_Set-chan!"_

One hand scrabbled against the shifting surface of the shore, fingers slipping over wet pebbles before finding a purchase. Gently, Setsuna eased herself up onto one arm.

"Kono-chan? What- what're you doing- oh!"

Bringing her other arm around to cradle the brunette who'd hurtled into her arms; Setsuna smiled, and pressed a kiss to the top of Konoka's head, trailing the fingertips of her left hand through her soft brown hair-

Setsuna held her shaking hand out. Long talons, clear like fingernails, curved down from her fingers in deadly arcs. Her fingers flexed, and they slid back into her hands with a small twinge of pain, leaving her with short, blunt fingernails.

Another flex, and out they slid again.

No talons of any bird she'd ever seen could do _that_.

"Oh, no... what did I do?" whispered Setsuna, still not noticing the expression on Konoka's face.

Konoka pulled back with something that sounded deceptively like a sniffle. "You had me so worried Set-chan! Why did you go and do that- Set-chan?"

The look on the swordswoman's face was horrified. Her outstretched hand trembled, and as a loose strand of hair drifted across her open mouth, she puffed out to blow it away. Delicate, gossamer strands floated upwards, and, as her eyes widened, Setsuna snatched at them.

Soft, _white_ hair rested on her palm.

"Your hair tie snapped," said Konoka softly. "I found it on the pebbles."

"My eyes?" whispered Setsuna in a soft, stunned rasp.

"They're beautiful. Like the silver shadows of melting snow." Said Konoka, and her smile was warm. "They're beautiful eyes, Set-chan. Just like the woman they belong too."

Setsuna sat up, and felt her wings move, heavy and warm against her cold back. She shifted her legs, but they were wobbly. Setsuna couldn't stand even as Konoka pulled herself upright.

"Here- give me your hand. I'll pull you up."

Standing, the bewildered half-demon felt the talons on her feet slide back with silken smoothness. A spasm seized her, and her wings snapped out, scattering water droplets over the both of them.

Konoka giggled.

A flash of pain crossed Setsuna's face.

"How can you laugh at me, Kono-chan?"

Konoka stopped, and gave Setsuna a slow, serious look.

"Silly Set-chan. I'm not laughing at you. I- I think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Konoka's eyes were as warm as her smile. Setsuna felt a trickle of hope, then shook herself.

"I'm still a thing, though." The words were a sigh, and Setsuna shivered, rubbing her arms. Curious at the fact her skin felt softer than before, she glanced down at spread palms-

-only to realise she was as naked as a babe.

"Gah! I forgot!"

Clapping her hands over herself in a vain attempt to cover her nakedness, Setsuna seemed to blush from head to toe.

Konoka giggled in spite of herself, and stopped in awe as the pink on her Set-chan's flushed cheeks seemed to spread and suffuse her body with a soft, pink glow.

_The first bloom of cherry blossoms in spring..._

"Wow..." whispered Konoka, reaching out hesitant fingers to brush against skin the colour of moonstones.

"So soft..."

Setsuna shivered. Konoka's fingers trailed over her skin, sweeping up her thigh and over her stomach in gentle arcs. Tingles raced across to follow the course of those gentle fingertips.

Konoka took a step closer, her hand sliding across her love's back to rest between her wings.

Her hips bumped against Setsuna's and she shivered with a rustle of feathers at the touch of warm cloth on cool skin. Konoka's fingers stroked her feathers. Setsuna swayed forward, body pressing against the taller girl.

Konoka smiled, her eyes molten with something Setsuna didn't recognise. Warm lips brushed her own; her cheek, her neck, then nipped at her earlobe, took it between teeth, and drew back, slowly, teeth scraping across soft flesh.

_Oh. That's what it is, _thought Setsuna as her own hands slid to Konoka's hips, stroking against her through thin fabric. Konoka drew back, and, eyes languid and dark, leant in to kiss her.

Their lips met.

_Desire._

Heat slammed into Setsuna hard enough to make her knees buckle. _Wanting _roared into life as a fire in her belly, pumping through her veins, twisting, throbbing, _craving_ as her hands clutched at Konoka's back, the girl trailing wet kisses over her neck-

Her wings snapped out with a gust of air. Her back arched, and Konoka's left hand cupped her bottom, jerking her closer, grinding their hips together.

Pleasure lanced through her, almost painful, as Konoka nipped her throat, her breath fanning over Setsuna's skin. Goosebumps washed over her in waves, and her wings curled round to encircle them both tightly.

Setsuna choked in a breath, struggling to breathe through the crushing need gripping her.

She'd never wanted anyone, or anything this much before.

She slid her hands up into Konoka's hair, curling her fingers into silken strands, pulling the girl up, meshing their mouths together.

Her pulse was pounding in her ears. Konoka moaned into her mouth, and, between kisses, she murmured incoherent, fragmented words. Only three were clear enough to be heard.

"_...want you, Set-chan..."_

Setsuna's heart was throbbing in her chest, love and need spilling up through her like some sweet wine. Tears started in her eyes. Konoka kissed them away, pressing her body as close as she possibly could.

"Oh, oh, _Kono-chan_..."

_Whoppa-whoppa-whoppa!_

"What?" said Konoka, lifting her head from a dazed, conflicted and very inhuman Setsuna.

Setsuna blinked. "Helicopters," she gasped, try to drag in air, blood swimming with desire.

"Helicopters?" asked Konoka.

"Helicopters," repeated Setsuna, brushing long, white hair out of her eyes.

Both girls stared at each other in horror.

"_HELICOPTERS!"_ they shrieked as one, scrambling up the shore. Setsuna snatched her clothes from the sapling's branches, scrambling to get dressed and run towards the cover of the trees at the same time.

"No time!" shouted Konoka, pulling a dainty wand from her pocket, and jerking the panicked half-demon behind a tree. _"Masquer!"_ she whispered, and the tip of the wand –a star- glowed yellow.

Something like a heat haze shimmered over them, and, trembling, both girls clapped their hands over each other's mouths, desperately trying not to make a sound.

The trees above them shook as at least five small helicopters hovered low over the lake, fanning the water into white waves crashing onto the shore.

Over a crackle of static, Setsuna heard something about UFO's broadcast over the aircraft's radio system. To her shock, Hakase hung out the open side of the biggest copter, holding binoculars.

She seemed to be looking for something.

The couple huddled closer together. In her head, Setsuna recited prayers in the hope that they wouldn't be found, especially not with her half-dressed and quite a bit less than half-human.

After what seemed an eternity, Hakase shook her head and drew back, slamming the copter door closed. The formation hovered briefly over the water before lifting up with a loud _whoppa-whoppa-whoppa_, the trees above them bending and groaning from the weight of the wind.

After a moment only the twittering of birds and the soft susurration of the waves against the shore could be heard.

"_...cesser."_ whispered Konoka. The heat haze winked out.

Both women slumped against the forest floor.

"...whoa," breathed Setsuna.

"...yeah." said Konoka.

Both girls looked at each other, and burst into laughter.

"That was close, Set-chan," gasped Konoka, squeezing her sides as laughter shook her.

"Yeah, yeah it was, Kono-chan. Oh, oh," wheezed Setsuna, wiping tears away. Her hair floated in front of her eyes, and catching sight of soft locks that glowed like moonbeams, she sighed.

"I didn't... I didn't want you to see me... like this."

Konoka shook her head slowly, and cupped Setsuna's chin. Her eyes were serious.

"Set-chan, I think you're beautiful. And, and I don't care if you're demon or human or in between. You're still _my_ Set-chan, and I love you." she grinned then, the smile breaking over her stern face like the dawn over the hills. Her eyes glowed with happiness.

"Really?"

"_Really_, you silly, silly Set-chan."

Setsuna smiled then, slowly, hesitantly. Konoka bumped their foreheads together.

"How 'bout you get dressed, and we go home?"

"I... you go on ahead, Kono-chan. I've still got some things to work out."

The half-demons eyes were luminous, and her feathers, whiter than raw silk, cast flickering, shimmering shadows on the ground. Even her hair was thick and lustrous, shining like new snow.

All in all the effect was striking, except for the pine leaves tangled in her hair. Konoka sniggered, and brushed a clump from sleek strands.

"Okay, Set-chan. You go do what you have to. Just... don't forget that I love you."

Setsuna nodded, curiously solemn, sliding her shorts over slim, pale legs.

"And I you, ojou-sama."

Tugging her shirt over her head, she frowned, and pulled something from a breast pocket. It was slightly soggy, and the ink was running, but it was unmistakeable.

Konoka sat back and watched, as with a whisper of archaic Japanese, the thin slip of paper lit up with power.

"Once I stick this talisman to my chest, you won't be able to see me. So I'll kiss you goodbye now."

She did, and Konoka smiled up at her from the bed of pine needles spread over the ground.

"I will see you tonight, Kono-chan. Bye," the last a whisper as, with a flourish that anyone else would be surprised to see her make, the swordswoman attached the glowing talisman and promptly disappeared.

Konoka giggled as a pair of lips unseen grazed hers with exquisite tenderness.

Then, nothing but the sound of wings.

* * *

It was a dishevelled, smiling Konoka who finally stumbled into her dorm room at a quarter-past three, and as Negi rushed forward to hug her, crying with relief that someone who could cook was home and he wouldn't have to suffer Asuna's poor attempts at a belated lunch, only Chamo picked up on the soft, small feather clutched in her fingers.

As the brunette reassured the trembling boy-teacher that no, he wouldn't have to eat any of Asuna's cooking, and the redhead in question stuck her head around the kitchen door, an unrecognisable substance smeared across her cheeks, the small ermine fluffed his fur, clambered down from his spot above Negi's desk, and perched himself on the cabinet by the door.

He closed his eyes. It was much harder to _see_ here, far from mother earth and forest home, but if he concentrated, then maybe he could-

_Ah. So I can still do this, even so far from the other world..._

He opened his eyes.

To the small fey-ermine, the world was a swirl of colours entirely unconnected to the clothes of the people milling in the kitchen.

The boy teacher was bright, as always; magic filled the boy to the brim, and sprites and spirits were drawn to him like moths to a flame.

Their kind always did love the most powerful of mages...

Asuna was a dark vacuum, coloured edges from her bond with the boy-teacher bleeding into the blackness of her power; Magic-negation at its most extreme.

To the eyes of one such as him, laid bare in second-sight, Kagurazaka Asuna was a living marvel, a magical heat-sink.

But Konoka...

Oh, he'd known the girl was a mage and a humdinger of a one at that; from the moment he clapped eyes on the girl and saw her magic spilling, _oozing_ out through every crack in the seal on her, he'd marvelled from the power she shed in the wake of every movement she made.

In time, she'd learn restraint and all of that untapped power would become an unstoppable tide.

But for now, that wasn't what he was looking for.

_Yes, there it is. That explains why her chi has felt so strange of late, at least._

In his own, loose terms, he thought of himself as Setsuna's cousin of sorts- a distant relative to be sure, but a relative none the less. After all, what these children of the sun-goddess called _demons_ would be _greater fey_ back home.

And any fey could sense another's working without even trying.

Setsuna's _essence_, her magical 'scent', was all over Konoka; in her hair, her skin, her clothes. The half-demon was, without thinking, _marking_ the girl as her own.

And that feather...

Laid reverently on the windowsill as Konoka threw noodles and vegetables into a pan, to Chamo's magical sight, it glowed like a candle in a dark room.

That, and whatever seal the swordswoman had broken earlier was as sure as any an indicator that something more potent than either girl knew was happening between them.

In fact, it seemed to him something he hadn't predicted happening for quite some time would be happening soon; very, very soon indeed...

Chamo blinked, and let the glamour go, eyes watering as the sight left him.

Once again, the world returned to its normal hues. The undulating, ribboning colours around Konoka winked out.

The two seated at the table nodded in thanks as Konoka laid a feast of a stir-fry before them; the dutiful thanks to the providing gods were said and the late meal commenced.

Chamo rubbed his eyes, and stopped, unbidden dreams of avarice rising before his eyes.

If he was smart, he'd use this opportunity to his advantage...

* * *

"I figured you'd show up here sooner or later. Do you have _any_ idea what you've done? Gods, girl, I think every single living thing of a magical persuasion felt your seal break! What are you, a fool?!" hissed The Dark Evangel, The Magus Nosferatu, thin bony hand seizing Setsuna about the arm as the girl dropped onto her balcony.

The petite vampire shook her head, eyes flashing angrily in the sunlight.

"Come on then, let's see what damage you've done." She snarled, dragging the dumbstruck girl inside, and snatching the talisman off her shirt. In Evangeline's hands it crumbled into dust.

Behind her Chachamaru, clad in a 1950's era maid outfit, closed the French doors that lead outside. Facing Setsuna, she bowed shortly, and turned to a fuming Eva.

"Good afternoon, Sakurazaki-san. Master, will you be requiring tea?"

"No, you baka robot! Leave me be- I've got work to do. Hmph."

Eva stamped her foot as Chachamaru descended gracefully down the stairs, and jerked her head towards a chair at the foot of her large bed.

"Sit."

"Actually," began Setsuna, folding her wings as small as she could, "I would prefer to-"

"It wasn't a request, it was an order," said Evangeline sweetly. "Sit!"

Setsuna sat. The undead mage paced in front of her, occasionally grabbing her chin to tilt her head from side to side, or examining her hair and skin. She even plucked a single father from her wings –Setsuna couldn't help but squawk in pain- and turned it over between pale, slender fingers.

"Whatever possessed you to _destroy_ the enchantment holding your demon back?" she asked after some ten minutes had passed with her staring into Setsuna's eyes.

"I'm not sure what you-"

"Were you _intending_ to loose enough magical backlash to cause ripples in the shields that surround Mahora that are going to last for days? Did you _want_ to attract every male demon within one thousand kilometres to this campus?"

Setsuna swallowed. Evangeline's eyes flooded black, pupils white and luminous, and her blonde hair floated out from her head in a golden nimbus. She swore she could practically see the diminutive but still impossibly powerful figures teeth lengthening...

"Because make no mistake, for the next month or so, you're going to be up to your neck in unwanted suitors! I want you to contact the headmaster, old fool that he is, and tell him he needs to increase his daily patrols fourfold!"

Evangeline threw up her hands in disgust.

"You child. You stupid, stupid child. Of course you would pick your first oestrus to break the magical barrier keeping your demon side back!"

She sat down heavily on a padded satin toy box, crossing stocking-clad legs.

Setsuna, wincing, raised her hand slowly. "Um, Eva-chan, if I might ask a question?"

The vamp sharpened her gaze, power draining slowly away. Her blonde hair settled back lightly, and her eyes faded to green.

"Go on..."

"What are you talking about? I mean, I know I broke the barrier, but I'd only wanted to see why it was getting so hard to stay human. Well, human-shaped anyway. I don't know why you think there's going to be more demon-activity than normal, or what 'oestrus' means..." Setsuna trailed over and flinched under the scathing look Evangeline scent her.

"I mean, all I wanted was for you to show me how to put the barrier back."

Eva opened her mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, rubbed her face and buried her head in her hands.

Setsuna sat up straight. She wanted to ask what on earth was wrong with the vampire, but didn't dare for fear of having her throat torn out.

Eventually, the undead mage composed herself enough to speak.

"You're in heat, you fool. Obviously no-one ever told you what that is or what it means, but it's very dangerous for you to go out unprotected. Every male demon -and possibly a few female ones, who knows- in this part of the world will be able to smell it, and they'll be drawn to you like honey draws bees. As for breaking your barrier..." she shook her head. "I can't believe those sword-wielding idiots were stupid enough not to tell you what would happen if you broke it."

She crossed her arms, and let back against the wall of her cottage. On the floor below them, a kettle whistled as Chachamaru prepared tea, despite being told not to.

"I can't put it back. Not properly, anyway. That barrier's been a part of you since you were just a fledgling- the magic woven too deeply into your chi for too long. I'm stunned you didn't _die_ when you broke it, let alone that you managed to in the first place!"

Setsuna nodded, face grim. She sat forward, and smoothed her hair out of her eyes. As she moved, the bottoms of her folded wings brushed against the floor with a soft, feathery sound.

"I'm stuck like this for the rest of my life, then?" she asked, tone flat, holding out a single hand to watch her talons slide out.

Both girls were silent as Chachamaru climbed the stairs, crossed the room quietly, and laid a tea-tray down on the small table between them.

"No. I- I can put a glamour on you. It'll be enough to hide what you are, and should be able to keep your more... inhuman features from coming to notice." Eva nodded briskly at her robotic aide, who began to pour the tea. The liquid tinkled into fine, bone china cups, releasing a puffing cloud of jasmine-scented tea into the air. The vamp wrapped her small hands around her cup as if to warm them.

"It'll hold up to scrutiny, and you'll look utterly and completely human while wearing it, but if you loose your wings or take place in any magic, any at all, it'll shatter. That's the nature of a glamour," she finished quietly, sipping her tea.

"Would you like milk, Setsuna-san?"

"Um, no thankyou, Chachamaru." Said Setsuna quietly, reaching out for her tea. She tried it as the gynoid watched. It tasted delicious.

Evangeline sighed into her teacup. "Eventually, I'll teach you how to work your own. It shouldn't be too hard for a talisman-user like yourself, and especially more so because of your mixed heritage."

Setsuna nodded.

"Thankyou."

"Don't thank me, half-breed. You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?" Eva closed her eyes. When she opened them, they glistened black with power.

"This is going to _hurt_..."

* * *

When Setsuna eventually left, some two hours later, she could only agree with the mage's prediction. She hurt, all over, and the worst bit was it was half-past five and she had only an hour to get back to her room, _without flying_, and get ready!

Setsuna grimaced and broke into a run, not looking back at the lone vampire watching her from her balcony.

She had a date with Kono-chan, and there was no way in hell she was going to be late!

From the balcony, Eva shook her head as the pale, slender figure of Setsuna darted into the forest, legs moving at blinding speed.

Someone was going to pay for placing such a binding on the foolish creature and not telling her why; once she found out who they were, she was going to slice them into small pieces and wring the blood from them drop-by-drop-

"That was a very kind thing you did for Sakurazaki-san, Master." Said Chachamaru, cleaning the remains of an impromptu tea party from the vampire's table.

Evangeline didn't turn around to the running figure was out of sight in the darkening sunlight.

"No, it wasn't. And did I say you could speak, robot?"

"No, Master, but you did not say I could not. My cognitive logic engine registered a loophole in your unspoken command and deduced that I could, in fact, contribute to the conversation without major reprimand."

The green-haired gynoid straightened herself, teacups and teapot balanced perfectly on her tray.

Evangeline ignored her. "And it wasn't _kind_. I don't do _kind_."

"As you say, Master."

Evangeline fumed as she watched her servant retreat downstairs.

_Hmph. Baka robot. She's getting far too insolent, these days_...

* * *

**End Part Five**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **Some clarification, here:

_Glamour: _magic as used by any number of magical creatures, particularly fey (i.e fairies, goblins, elves, etc.) and with the purpose of altering the physical and/or magical appearance of an object or creature; can also be used for minor magicks. Generally easy to break, but can be more powerful depending on the power placed in the enchantment.

_Oestrus/heat: _period of time during which sexually mature female creatures are capable of fertilisation; mostly common among mammals, not too sure if it applies to birds, but I'm using it anyway, if only to screw with Setsuna and explain the forthcoming events, of which I won't go into just yet...

_Second sight/the sight: _ability to see through magical disguises, glamour, enchantments. Also used to see the future and/or minor changes within a person e.g. injuries, pregnancy etc.

_Chamo as a 'fairy':_ there have been references to Chamo being of the fey persuasion as stated in the manga, cannot be bothered finding them, but in short he's a small, magical fey-like creature (in this case, an ermine fairy), henceforth I'm giving him second-sight, ability to cast minor magicks etc.

_Setsuna having white hair, skin, eyes etc: _For those who don't know, it's mentioned a few times in the manga Setsuna is a 'white' crow, i.e. albino, and is therefore taboo. It's also mentioned that she 'hides' her true colours, as it were, through magical or mundane means; I'm interpreting that here to mean she has had a barrier placed on her since early childhood to prevent her from accessing most of her demonic powers.

_Taboo: _some animals, especially white ones, are considered favoured by the gods- extremely magical or powerful, and very lucky, which in turn creates fear amongst those creatures around them because they are considered different or omens of great power. Over time, some have come to associate the word 'taboo' with a negative meaning e.g. 'evil', with a further connotation that it is not a good idea to associate with these creatures.

If there is anything else I haven't mentioned that you think needs to be cleared up, or if you spot any major mistakes, please let me know.

Thankyou, and if you review, I'll give you a cookie XD

(or maybe not. But I'll reply to it at the very least, lol)


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima is not mine. If it were, Setsuna would suffer from a permanent nosebleed.

**PREFACE:** Um, yeah... sorry about the wait? (please don't kill me, I had exams!)

Hopefully this _**MASSIVE**_ chapter makes up for my late update- this took me a while to write for a reason, people. This is the single largest chapter I have ever posted, and as voted by you, in my poll, it hasn't been split up or given filler in any way. So good luck reading through it all!

(Don't worry- I will never, ever, _ever_ write a chapter this long again. I think.)

Also, one last thing-

**WARNING:**This fic may taste like _**lemon**_s to some readers. It is served with a tall glass of _**lemon**_ade with a slice of _**lemon**_ on the side, and comes with a complimentary orange and _**lemon **_scone, complete with _**lemon **_butter marmalade and cream...which has _**lemon**_s in it.

(Read between the lines, people.)

* * *

**Egg Belly.**

* * *

**Part Six**

* * *

"You _knew_, didn't you? You _knew_ that bird-brain had been sealed and you didn't think to tell her? I will never know how you survived this long, you old fool!"

Evangeline smashed a hand into the shoji board, scattering pieces as shards of broken pottery.

Long, thick black talons scraped jagged lines in the headmaster's oaken desk. Konoemon sighed. That particular set had been in his family for generations.

"Was that necessary, Eva?"

"Don't you _necessary_ me, you imbecile! You've got a half-demon in heat wandering around in your forest and you wonder why there have been more attacks of late!"

Fuming, the petite vamp perched herself on the desk, flicking her long hair back. She sniffed.

"I honestly don't know why I bother with you."

Konoemon lifted his hands, steepling his fingers, and rested them against a stern mouth. His forehead, already creased with age, crinkled with thought.

"The decision to seal Sakurazaki was not mine; indeed, the decision was made long before she was admitted into Mahora."

Evangeline huffed.

"By your fool of a son-in-law, no doubt."

There was a moment of silence before Konoemon spoke, voice carefully measured and calm.

"Eishun knew well what he was doing when he decided to seal the girl's powers away. After all, a demon with the knowledge of the shinmeiryuu was a dangerous thing, and there was always the chance she could, at any time, revert-"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" snarled Evangeline, eyes dark with rage. Her hand slammed into the desk again, and there was a delicate, tinkling noise as a teacup fell over and gently rolled off the table to bounce on the floor, miraculously unbroken. Warm tea dripped down the side of oak panelling, not doubt ruining the priceless silk rug below her dangling feet.

The headmaster fixed a milky gaze on the incensed vampire, chuckling to himself.

"Language please, my dear."

The blonde vamp ignored him, arms crossed and lips moving in a silent litany of curse words, no doubt all of them directed at him or his near relatives.

Konoemon smiled benignly; this seemed only to incense her further. Reckless in the face of her smouldering gaze, he continued on.

"It is a surprise to me that you would stand up for the girl. Or, perhaps not, considering your current situation..."

"Hmph." Eva jerked away, sliding off the desk and pacing over the room, occasionally staring blankly out the window.

"Well, whatever your idiotic son-in-law's intentions were, they've gone astray. Her seal is broken, and there will be, no doubt, more demons than you care to think about flooding over your borders very, very soon." Her mouth twisted with something like irritation. Konoemon chuckled.

Evangeline continued, ignoring his bemused expression. "I've glamoured her, as best I can -you know my magic is alien to demons- but I don't expect it to hold safe for very long, and I can't guarantee that her power won't simply seep through it. Sooner or later, her scent will be on the breeze, and she will be ambushed. And considering that Konoka is never far from her side, I wouldn't be surprised if she was attacked too. Your precious granddaughter is in _danger_-"

Evangeline stopped. And turned, very slowly, green eyes wide.

The look on Konoemon's face could be best described as 'mischievous glee', even though the elderly mage was far too dignified to stoop so low.

"You're not telling me you...?" she hissed, voice quiet as the breathless moment before a volcano erupts.

The headmaster winked and tucked his hands into the pockets of his robe with a half-shrug.

Evangeline shrieked in wordless rage, bringing a foot down to stamp furiously on the tea sodden rug, and connected with the teacup. Against all laws of physics, the fragile container did not shatter, but rolled, sending the diminutive vampire ass over teakettle.

Or, in this case, cup.

Konoemon stifled a chuckle. No need to enrage the incandescent creature further.

There was a moment of breathless silence, in which Evangeline's porcelain skin gradually turned the colour of an overripe plum.

A single drop of tea slid down her nose, and _plink_ed onto the floor.

"_You rat bastard! You planned this all along!"_ screeched Evangeline, waving her arms in a gesture of rage at the universe in general, and the man standing before her in particular. "_Ugh!_ I can't believe I even came here to warn you!"

Konoemon extended a weathered hand to the petite figure squirming with rage, and was swiped at with talons longer than his fingers.

"I have complete trust in Sakurazaki. Sealed or unsealed, demon or human, I know that she will protect my granddaughter with every skill she possesses; even, should she need to, her life."

Dripping with tea, Evangeline pulled herself up, snarled at the elderly mage's offer of assistance and stomped towards the door, before spinning on the spot and marching up to glare at him, eye to eye, or at least, eye to chest.

"She'll protect her till she _dies_, you old fool, because that girl hasn't a _scrap_ of sense. I don't think your precious, precious _heir_ can survive very long while her protector lies _bloodied and torn_, swarmed over by the _thousands of demons_ her scent is going to attract! And," she added, spitting with venom, "Don't even _think_ you can rely on me to pull your ass out of the fire this time! _That bird-brained idiot is going to have to deal with this on her own!"_

With a final, disgusted, "Hmph!" the incensed vamp stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the tea-set on the table.

Konoemon just smiled as only old men can- with boundless amusement twinkling in his eyes. Scooping the teacup from the floor, he turned back to his desk, and paused, gaze flicking over the wide windows that adorned his office.

Outside, the sky was clear, and though it was barely half-past six, twilight had settled over Mahora. In the distance, the lamplights flickered into life, bathing the cobbled streets with a warm, amber glow.

_I trust I do the right thing in leaving Konoka in your hands, Setsuna_...

* * *

f

"So, what outfit have you got planned out for tonight?" Asuna swung her legs aimlessly on the end of the bed, arms folded behind her head as she flopped backwards on the top bunk. From up here, she had a perfect view of the whole room, including the walk-in robe.

Konoka had thrown herself into the shower as soon as lunch was over, and, an hour or so later, the excited brunette -now primped, preened and perfumed- had practically skipped into the wardrobe.

"Konoka?"

There was a loud rustle of cloth, a grunt, and the sound of half-a-dozen cardboard boxes hitting the floor, followed by a triumphant "Aha!"

Konoka peeped 'round the door, brown hair piled neatly on top of her head to cascade down her back in soft, chocolate waves. Small hairpins adorned with porcelain cherry blossoms twinkled merrily in the afternoon light.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Asuna." Grinning slyly, Konoka disappeared back into the depths of the clothing-stuffed wardrobe with a giggle.

Asuna rolled her eyes, flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling for some ten minutes she listened to the sound of a young woman getting dressed. Occasionally, there were short periods of silence punctuated by the soft rustling of fabric, but mostly there was a lot of half-murmured complaints and self directions, followed by the sound of silk sliding against cotton and the distinct _twang_ of elasticised lace.

No doubt Konoka was putting on her 'special' underwear...

A final few rustles, and the sound of something like a heel being tapped against a shelf, and the closet fell quiet. After a few seconds, the door creaked open, and Konoka stuck her head out again.

"Um... I'm all done Asuna. Now, no peeking until I say you can look."

Obediently, Asuna sat up, scrunching her eyes shut, a little curious as to why Konoka's voice held that little tremble that meant the girl was nervous.

_Probably just pre-date jitters. I mean, this IS her first official-OFFICIAL date, what with the whole French restaurant thing, the necking-on-the-couch and the special underwear. No wonder she's a little nervous..._

"Okay, you can look now."

Hands that shook only a little pressed down a few sparse wrinkles in a soft, creamy bodice trimmed with pale pink ribbons. Long sleeves, smooth tubes of fabric that flared out at Konoka's wrists rustled a little against a knee-length skirt, cream to match the bodice and accordingly trimmed; a delicate lace petticoat, the shade and depth of new cherry blossoms peeked out from under the skirt.

Hesitantly, Konoka smiled up at Asuna.

"Does... does it look alright? Not too... fancy? I mean, I know I'm going to a nice restaurant, but I don't want to intimidate Set-chan or look too overdressed because that would be bad and-"

Asuna shook her head and gave the fretting mage an indulgent smile.

"Konoka, you're babbling. Yes, the dress is fine, you look beautiful, and what shoes are you wearing with those stockings?"

"Um, pink kitten heels."

"Coordinated much?"

Asuna grinned.

Konoka shuffled a little.

"Maybe. But I wanted it to be perfect."

Asuna shook her head, bells jingling in the quiet room.

"Konoka, you look perfect. Better than perfect." Craning her head, she shouted up at the loft. "Hey, Negi! Tell Konoka she looks pretty!"

Negi, peeping over the railing, looked at Konoka once, blinked, cleaned his glasses and peered downwards.

"Wow, Konoka-san... just... wow! You look great!"

"See, told you." Konoka rolled her eyes at the smug redhead, cheeks flushed to match her outfit.

"Thanks, guys."

Asuna just smiled again, somewhat motherly, and hopped down to pat the nervous brunette on the head, careful avoiding the hairpins and curls.

"Don't worry. You'll go meet her at the restaurant, and you and dear Set-chan will have a perfect romantic evening. And who knows," added Asuna, eyebrows waggling with mischief, "you might even get lucky afterwards!"

Gobsmacked, Konoka stared, ruining her carefully coordinated outfit with her slack-jawed, agape expression.

"_Asuna...!_ Ooh, you're so lucky I'm all dressed up, 'cause if I weren't, I'd pound you into next week!"

"Hah! Bring it! You couldn't hit the side of a barn if you were inside it!"

"Oooh-! _Asuna!_"

Their argument would have devolved further, possibly involving pillows, and / or shoes, except for Negi pointing out that it was almost seven o'clock, and didn't Konoka have somewhere to be?

After a short shriek about the time, Asuna, and how she had neither shoes nor perfume on, Konoka dashed into the bathroom, dashed into the closet, and left in a flurry of floral-scented chaos, rushing out the door so fast she forgot to close it behind her.

Asuna shook her head and crossed her arms.

"That nutjob. If she hadn't been so worried about looking nice –which she does anyway, without even trying- she wouldn't have had to worry about a thing."

Negi, still ensconced in his loft, swung his legs over the edge of the platform, and sat with his head resting against the railing.

"Konoka-san just wants to make sure she is ready, Asuna. I understand the need to be prepared for the one you love."

Asuna snorted and turned, a little peeved by the wistful look in the boy's eyes. "And just what do you know of love, shrimp? You're _fourteen_."

Negi smiled, perking up with a cheeky grin.

"As I recall, Asuna-san, you were only fourteen yourself when you were in love with Takamichi."

Asuna grunted and crossed her arms, her grumpy expression somewhat ruined by the blush colouring her cheeks.

"T-That was an _entirely_ different matter _entirely_!" she snapped.

Negi grinned.

"You said 'entirely' twice."

"Cram it, brat. And _anyway_, don't you have papers to mark?"

"Yes, but I was hoping I could break for dinner first-"

"Back to it, shorty."

"_But, Asuuuuuna-"_

"_Don't make me come up there, twerp! Now hurry up and finish your homewor- uh, grading!"_

"_Yes, Asuna-san..."_

* * *

"This is so _boring,_ Chizu-ne. Why do we have to sit around and wait for it to get dark? I could be at home eating something, you know."

Kotaro snorted, ears flopping down in disgust.

"I mean, I don't know how you expect to even _see_ the stars with all the smoke from the city, and all those lights on."

Waving a clawed hand towards the bright lights in the distance, Kotaro wiggled backwards on his rock, trying to get comfortable. Chizuru smiled indulgently.

"This might be a little boring for you, Kota-kun, but if you wait, I'm sure you'll see some beautiful stars tonight." The older girl said softly, leaning against her telescope, and gave the dog-eared boy a smile warm enough to make his cheeks glow.

Kotaro flushed and looked away, trying not to let his embarrassment show.

"Whatever..."

Beside him, Natsumi fidgeted, twirling her pen between her fingers, before letting it drop onto the pad where she'd been recording Chizuru's observations. The amateur astronomer had told them Venus would be out tonight, and was hoping for a glimpse of the rosy, clouded planet before the moon rose.

Which meant the aspiring actress was missing late-night rehearsals so she could sit here and write down numbers and quadrants while Kotaro grumbled about one thing or another, ears twitching from side to side.

_He sure seems a little edgy tonight... wonder what's up? He better not have fleas again, _thought Natsumi as he idly scratched a shaggy ear.

In fact, Kotaro's edginess had nothing to do with fleas. He'd heard from the commander that tonight all patrols were to be stood down- which left him with an evening free to be taken advantage of by Chizuru.

Not that he minded having an evening off. It was nice having a night to just sit back and not think about training with Kaede-nee-san or even the commander herself, and he wasn't having as bad a time as he made out to be, sitting here with the girls and watching the stars come up.

Not that he'd _ever_ admit that to anyone, and _especially_ not Negi.

But... he'd heard rumours that something big was going down tonight, something big indeed and the reason they'd all been given time off was because someone was being tested...

He shuddered.

He was just glad it wasn't him. Sure, he _knew_ he had the skillz to pay the billz, there was no doubt about that, but being left alone and unaided to face off against the hordes of demons pressing against the school's borders every night? No thankyou.

...and especially not when he could still catch that faint, intoxicating scent that had burst out and surged into the air this morning.

Demon. Young, ripe, fresh-meat _female_ demon, in heat and ready to be taken...

Gods above, the monsters were going to go _wild_ tonight.

"Oh, wow! It's up early- Venus isn't supposed to be rising for another twenty minutes. Kota-kun, Nastumi-chan, you've got to see this!"

Natsumi scrambled upright, and crawled up the rocky hill to the telescope.

"Wow, it's so red! Hey, Kotaro, come have a look! Kotaro-?"

Kotaro ignored the girls, eyes narrowing as another figure, adorned in bright yellow silk, walked towards them, waving happily.

Her smiling face seemed too guileless, and it set his fur on edge.

_Ku-Fei-san. What does she want? She got the night off with the rest of us,_ thought the inu-hanyou.

"Hey, it's Ku-chan! Ku-chan, what's up?" called out Natsumi, scrambling down the rocky hill, sliding a little on the gravel, and trotting over to the tanned Chinese girl.

Kotaro's ears pricked forward as he listened to the girl's words float on the breeze.

"Ah, Natsumi-san! You just person I want to see, yes? I need disguise!"

* * *

Setsuna shifted nervously in her seat. Hopefully –_please_, whatever gods that may be listening, _please!_- tonight would go well.

Her waiter, a middle-aged man with a robust black moustache, suit, bowtie and a small pin of the French flag attached to his lapel, winked, and touching fingers to thumb, made the universal 'ok' symbol.

"Now, now, not to worry- This is a private room, and you won't be disturbed by anyone until you are ready to order, _mademoiselle_." Said the waiter, misinterpreting her angst as Setsuna twisted about in her chair.

The waiter inclined his head with a discreet grin, lit the candles on the table and left.

Watching him leave, she couldn't help but twitch when he gave her a 'thumbs up' before disappearing out the door.

She sighed and, patting her coat down, Setsuna brushed microscopic amounts of dust off, before swinging it over the back of her chair.

_Maybe I should put it back on. What if I look too casual without it? Wait, what if I look too formal with it? Argh!_

Her hands clenched, and she bunched them up against her face, dragging in a deep breath.

Deciding to leave the jacket where it was, the jittery young woman resisted the urge to fidget, move the candles around on the table to a better position, or hyperventilate.

_Easy, easy. You'll be fine. You've gone on dates with Kono-chan before, remember?_

Her fingers twitched. She laid her hands flat on the table and glared at them sternly.

_Relax. This is no different from the time you took her to the movies... except hopefully Haruna isn't watching._

Setsuna's hands, still uncooperative, scrunched in the tablecloth. Suddenly paranoid, she twisted her head about, peering into shadows for some sign of her rumour-spreading classmate.

_Wonderful. When Kono-chan does show up, she's going to find me panicked and sweating. Just the impression I want to make...not. Gods, I hope I still look human._

Forcing her hands flat, and scowling slightly at the rumpled tablecloth, Setsuna sighed, turning to see her reflection in the dark glass of the window. She looked much the same as she always had before breaking the seal, except perhaps paler, though that could be put down to nerves.

Her hair was down, drifting over her back, a surprisingly heavy weight against her shoulders. She wasn't used to wearing it loose, but Konoka had seemed so fascinated with her hair earlier, she'd thought maybe she should leave it out...

She shivered a little, remembering exactly _how_ fascinated Konoka had been when the seal broke. Dull heat flooded her, coalescing in her belly, the ghostly sensation of her ojou-sama's fingertips trailing up her bare back replaying in prickling delight over her skin-

Setsuna slapped her face into her hands.

_Get a grip. What the hell is wrong with you? You already took a cold shower before you left! It's not just like you can nip into the kitchen and have one in the sink-_

She twitched when she heard the faint, lilting French accent of the waiter.

"Right this way, _madame_. The private rooms are towards the back."

"Oh, um, right. Do I-?"

"There's a coat-rack in the room, _mademoiselle_. Your... friend is waiting already."

Setsuna stiffened.

_Ready or not, here she comes!_ was the last treacherous thought before her ojou-sama appeared, led by the same waiter with the same moustache, grinning over the top of Konoka's head, before moving away to attach her jacket to the coat-rack.

_Oh... oh, oh, oh..._

Even that annoying little voice in her head was rendered speechless.

Konoka smiled shyly, and peeked up at Setsuna –who stood up in such a hurry she pushed her chair backwards to clatter onto the floor- through dark lashes.

"Um, I'm sorry if I'm late, Set-chan. It took a little longer to get ready then I thought it would."

_**...oh, Kami...**_

"Um, that's alright, Kono-chan," squeaked Setsuna, shaking her head to dispel the blood throbbing in her ears. "Uh, take- take a seat-" stumbling over the legs of her chair, Setsuna rushed to pull out the other seat at their small, intimate table, holding it out with a smile.

Konoka blushed, and slid gratefully into her seat with a delicate rasp of silk, soft hair brushing against Setsuna's cheek. Some delicious scent wafted up to the dumb-struck swordswoman, who swallowed reflexively, heart squeezing in her chest.

Nerves on fire, Setsuna scrambled back to her seat, remaining as composed as she could with urges she'd been trying to squash since last night crawling beneath her skin.

_**...give me the strength to resist temptation...**_

Setsuna closed her eyes, trying to block out those sinful thoughts that came to mind now that her Kono-chan was so close and smelled so _good_...

"Now, _mesdames_, I'll leave you with some menus, and when you're ready to order, you just ring this-" instructed their waiter, laying a small, gilt bell by the candlesticks with a jug of water and two glasses "-and I'll be right with you. Enjoy your evening."

"We will!" said Konoka cheerfully, smiling up at the waiter who bowed respectfully and left, door clicking shut behind him.

Konoka turned back to Setsuna, and started a little at the expression on her love's face, blood rushing to her cheeks. Feeling suddenly shy, she reached her hands out to take Setsuna's.

Setsuna shivered, warm fingers closing about her own.

"Thankyou for asking me out to dinner, Set-chan. I think we're going to have a lot of fun tonight."

Setsuna nodded, mute, hoping against all hopes that the sexy, irresistible, and all-too-innocent brunette before her didn't notice the pulse jumping in her throat.

Her eyelids scrunched shut tighter, the frantic swordswoman trying to resist the memories of her ojou-sama shirtless and quivering in her arms that burnt themselves across the back of her eyelids.

The things she wanted to do to her-! Kami, but she'd never experienced such lewd thoughts before in her entire life!

(except, perhaps, when she accidentally walked in on Konoka in the shower some two weeks ago, but that was an entirely different situation and even then, those thoughts were nothing compared to the lustful ideas that plagued her now!)

"Set-chan? Is something the matter?"

Setsuna swallowed. Time to face the music.

"N-nothing Kono-chan... It's just that... you look..." wordless, Setsuna sighed, and opened her eyes.

_**...even though I do not want to.**_

Irises stained black by Evangeline's magic bled white with scorching, smoking hunger. The hair on the back of Konoka's neck pricked, and a hot, needy shudder swept over her, bringing goosebumps to her skin in waves. Her mouth went dry, saliva evaporated. Her fingers tightened about Setsuna's hands. Something twisted in her belly, and heat washed through her, sending aching, throbbing blood to her lower body.

Unconsciously, Konoka pressed her thighs together, heat pooling between her legs, not quite sure why she felt like she did, but certain that, whatever was causing this, it was something to do with the look in Setsuna's eyes...

"I am ashamed..." whispered Setsuna, turning away from the woman whose fingers tangled between hers. "I should not look at you so, ojou-sama. I should not think such... such impure things about you, ojou-sama-"

"You should stop calling me that, Set-chan." Said Konoka softly, smoothing fingers over the palm of Setsuna's left hand. "And as for looking at me with those eyes... I don't mind."

Setsuna swallowed.

"Kono-chan..."

Konoka blinked, slowly, holding her breath as Setsuna turned to her, reached a hand up to cup her cheek, and drew closer, mouth a moment away from her own...

Konoka closed her eyes, leant forward, and as Setsuna's lips brushed against hers so sweetly, brought up her hand to reach for Setsuna's cheek and-

-knocked the bell off the table.

It _clang_ed onto the floor, where it bounced, rocking back and forth across the carpet, ringing loudly. Setsuna jumped and knocked a candlestick over, nearly catching the table alight.

"Ah! Set-chan!" cried Konoka, throwing a glass of water over the table, splashing most of it onto the floor and not the candlesticks, which Setsuna scooped upright, scorching her fingers in the process.

Wincing in pain, Setsuna blew on her hands while the waiter poked his head around the door, calling out urgently. "Are you all right, _mesdames_?" Came the French-accented call from beyond the door.

"Fine! We're fine!" chirped Konoka, mopping the tablecloth with her napkin. "We just need a little more time!"

"If you're sure?" called out their waiter, voice muffled by the door.

"We're fine, really!" called out Konoka cheerfully, wringing her napkin into her now empty glass. Setsuna twitched and blew on her singed fingertips.

Both girls held their breath until the sound of footsteps died away.

Konoka sighed, and shook her head, a heavy lock of brown hair sliding over her shoulder.

"Silly Set-chan."

She looked up, and her smile was positively cherubic, if not a little mischievous.

Setsuna swallowed, something squeezing in her chest, but couldn't help but smile back.

Maybe tonight would go well after all...

* * *

The waiter smiled as he walked away, straightening the pin on his lapel as he headed back to the kitchens.

Such a lovely, young couple- although he did think the black-haired beauty was just a tad bit nervous. That was to be expected, with her lady date being so beautiful and fresh-faced.

Pierre clapped his hands together and grinned.

Was there anything more magnificent than two enchanting nymphs in the throes of passion?

_Ah, femmes dans l'amour! 'Tis c'est magnifique!_

Cheeks flushed at the thought of what delights exactly those two young maidens could indulge themselves in alone in that private room, the distracted waiter waltzed happily into the kitchen, and passed directly by a squirming, trussed up chef, tucked neatly beneath a stainless steel bench, along with the sous chef and three kitchen-hands.

Behind the chuckling man, two shadows detached themselves from the darkness of the door way and leapt.

"Hm? Wha- mmph!"

Following a short struggle and with the use of a considerable amount of rope, Kotaro and Ku Fei stood in front of the poor waiter, the former scowling balefully and the latter with a cheeky grin.

Natsumi sighed, and climbed out of a cupboard, followed by a giggling Chizuru.

"Oh, my, this is so much fun!" laughed the brunette.

Natsumi shook her head. Why, exactly, they had agreed to this idiotic plan in the first place she'd never know.

"Is good," said Ku Fei, squatting down to inspect their latest catch, who wriggled like a fish on a hook. An extremely peeved and trussed-up fish. "He do nicely."

"Tell me again why we need him?" groaned Natsumi, not liking one bit the way Ku Fei was rubbing her hands together in glee.

"He part of plan. You see. We do this, and Asakura not put picture on web. You want swimsuit picture on homepage?" asked the blonde china doll, eyeing Natsumi sceptically.

"Uh, no." shuddered the redhead.

"There go. All I do is go in, take photo, get another photo, take order and go out. Simple. They not suspect a thing."

The actress didn't think so- after all, she doubted even the most masterful of actors could pull this off, let alone Ku Fei. She wanted nothing to do with this mess!

"But why us?! Why did Asakura have to pick us to help- gack!"

Chizuru pulled the freckled girl close, and squeezed her into her chest. "I wouldn't worry why we were picked, Natsumi-chan; only that I think this will be a lot more fun than watching the stars! Don't you agree, Kota-kun?"

"Hmm? Sorry, what?" Kotaro jerked his head up, trying not to wrinkle his noise. That scent had been bad enough outside, carried by the wind, but in here, so close to the demon in question, it fairly _wafted_. Gods, he had no interest in the girl, none at all, and it was enough to make his mouth water!

Kotaro swallowed saliva and tried not to think about it. The others were watching him; now was not the time to let the beast inside out.

"Yeah, fun," he muttered, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

_We are going to get into so much trouble for this..._

* * *

Setsuna peered at the menu. A bead of sweat slid down the back of her neck, passing her collar and trickling with slow, cold surety down her spine.

Her decision now could make or break their night. Her choice of food could hold ramifications for the rest of the night's activities, so she had to be very, very careful.

_Hmm. Nothing spicy or with lots of herbs, because I don't want to have garlic breath if Kono-chan kisses me, so spaghetti is out._

_No runny foods, because I don't want to accidentally slop it down my front and ruin my outfit, or slurp when I eat and look silly, so soup of the day is out as well._

_No steak, because I don't want to eat a big chunky meal and feel too bloated to move afterwards; I want to go for a walk with Kono-chan after dinner._

_No ratatouille because I don't know what that is, so I'd better just not order it in case it's something disgusting and I have to ask for it to be taken back to the kitchen._

_No snails. Oddly tempting, but no. One does not wish to show one's more... animal traits off in front of one's date..._

_Um. Hmm. Uh..._

_Maybe I should just have a salad?_

"I know what I'm having, Set-chan; how about you?"

"Uh I- I'm not too sure Kono-chan," sighed Setsuna, laying her menu down. "Maybe I should just have what you're having."

Konoka smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Okay then- I'll ring for the waiter shall I?"

Fingers closing about the handle, Konoka rang the bell delicately, and giggled at how loud it was.

_Ting... ting ting ting..._

She laid the bell down, and with a little spark in her eyes Setsuna didn't recognise, reached across both their menus to take Setsuna's hands, rubbing her soft fingertips over the swordswoman's calloused palms.

Tingles crept up Setsuna's arms, leaving puckering gooseflesh in their wake. Oh, her Kono-chan's smile... tingling warmth crept down her body to other places too, and Setsuna flushed. Konoka giggled again, peeking shyly up at Setsuna from beneath dark lashes.

Setsuna felt her cheeks get hotter. Something about that endearingly shy, curiously sly smile got to her, really it did...

"_Ah, you are ready to order, yes?"_

It was a measure of how distracted Setsuna really was that she didn't notice that anything was different about their waiter for a good thirty seconds.

"Uh, yes, we're ready to order, aren't we Kono-chan," began Setsuna, turning to face the be-suited figure-

And blinking twice, just to make sure what she was seeing wasn't some strange hallucination brought about by the candle light and her Kono-chan's intoxicating proximity.

"Um... you're..."

Their waiter, still in a black suit with bowtie and small pin of the French flag attached to his lapel, grinned cheesily at them. His slightly lopsided black moustache really didn't go with the blonde pigtails. Or the camera, for that matter.

"A souvenir for restaurant, yes? Say 'le cheese'!"

There was a click, followed by a brief flash of light, leaving Setsuna disoriented and a little confused.

Konoka rubbed her eyes. Was that who she thought it was? And why was she pretending to be their waiter?

"Um, you're... you're not our waiter," said Setsuna quietly, sure this was some fever dream sent to haunt her on this date she'd arranged so carefully.

_Of course, why should I be surprised? Things never go as I intend them to._

"Of course I waiter! See? Have suit, bowtie, menu... I waiter!"

Ku Fei, for that's who it clearly was, right down to the faint Chinese accent that she was trying to hide, beamed at them.

"Our waiter was French," said Konoka, unable to think of anything else to say in the face of such a blatant lie.

"I French! See? Flag on suit. I French!"

Getting annoyed now, for all that the yellow Baka Ranger was grinning cheerfully at her, Setsuna felt a nerve in her temple twitch. "Say something in French, then."

Ku Fei felt sweat bead on her brow. She hadn't thought it would be this hard! (Actually, she hadn't really thought at all, but that was no surprise.)

"Uh... _Bounjour? Croissant!"_ Ku Fei grinned, pleased with herself. She'd passed their little test! All she had to do now was take another photo and get out of here.

Sestuna felt a growl tickle the back of her throat, and clamped her lips together for fear of it escaping. It would not do to be so bestial in front of her Kono-chan, oh no.

Konoka crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the sweating waiter, whose moustache was coming unstuck.

"Everyone knows those words! If you really were French, you'd act like it. Go on, do something French, then."

The young mage smiled evilly, sure that Ku Fei, who was –let's face it- not the brightest crayon in the box, would make a mistake and leave for fear of exposure as a French fraud.

Ku Fei panicked. This wasn't what she'd planned!

_Do something French! Do something French... uh..._

As though lightning had struck, Ku Fei was jolted by an idea.

"A-ha!" she cried, thrusting her hand into her pocket. She'd picked this little beauty up earlier, upon visiting Satsuki at the Chao Bao Zi, having found it in the kitchen where the genius cook had been experimenting with French-Vietnamese cooking.

Closing her fingers about it, she jerked her hand out and stretched it triumphantly towards a startled Konoka.

Looking down at her closed fist, Ku Fei grinned in triumph as her fingers unfolded like some strange, flesh-toned flower.

"_Frog_!" cried Ku Fei jubilantly, said creature squatting in the middle of her palm, "French eat frog. You want frog?"

Black, wet eyes blinked slowly at a horrified Setsuna as, with a loud croak, the small, brown amphibian jumped onto her head.

"_Eeeeeek! Frog!"_ Cried Konoka, jumping up and scooting backwards. Her hand swept against the table, knocking the menus to the floor.

"_Frog! Catch it, Set-chan!"_ wailed Konoka, a force to be reckoned with when faced with giant man-eating spiders, but terrified of small, jumping, semi-aquatic creatures.

Obediently, Setsuna slapped her hands upwards, only to feel the slimy little brute slip out of her hands like a bar of soap grasped too tightly.

"It-it slipped out!"

The frog, unsure of where the hell it was but certain it shouldn't be there, hopped in a desperate line for the door, jumping straight onto Konoka's chest.

"_Aaaah! Get it off me!"_ shrieked Konoka, brushing hands down her dress frantically.

Ku Fei, sure that her mission had to be aborted, tried to sneak over to the door in the hubbub.

Setsuna saw her move and snapped about, knocking her chair over as she lunged for the girl.

"_You!_ Ruin my date with Kono-chan, will you! _I'll strangle you with your own moustache!_" snarled Setsuna, hands outstretched and thin, clear talons sliding under her fingernails.

Ku Fei gulped, and bolted for the door, dashing past a shrieking Konoka –the frog now _down_ her dress, and her hands flapping about in disgust- and straight into-

-two of the burly kitchen-hands she'd left tied up in the kitchen.

"Whoopsie. I, uh, sorry?" she said, hands spread in an apologetic gesture. The kitchen-hands were not amused.

"_Set-chan! Set-chan! Get it out, get it out!"_

"_Stand still, Kono-chan! You're wiggling as much as it is!"_

"_Ah! It's so slimy!_

"I thought you have them!" she shouted, catching sight of a wet, bedraggled and oddly orange Kotaro trussed up and in the hands of kitchen-hand number three.

"They had steak knives up their sleeves!" He shouted, looking a little worse for wear with a tureen of pumpkin soup tipped over him. "Chizu-ne and Natsumi already made a run for it!" Beside him, an incandescent waiter with a missing moustache pointed a trembling finger at her.

"_Get her!"_

The two walls of muscle in front of her cracked their knuckles.

"Uh... Time for me to be French again... I surrender!" wailed Ku Fei, turning about in the finest tradition of the French military and dashing for an alternate escape route- i.e. the window.

Somersaulting through the glass, scattering it over the garden bed below with a mighty _smasshhh!_, Ku Fei dashed off into the night, brandishing her camera in triumph.

"_Viva le rèvolution!_"

"_Get it out! Get it out! Set-chan, get it out!_"

* * *

"It was nice of them to give us a private booth after all that, ne Set-chan?"

"I suppose," muttered Setsuna gloomily. The head waiter hadn't believed that she'd had nothing to do with the whole debacle, and it was only quick-thinking on her part and a threatened phone-call to the police that got Setsuna another table. She still had to pay for her meal, the window _and_ the whole pot of soup, which she thought was colossally unfair, considering she hadn't even _tried_ the soup, and the window was all Ku Fei's fault anyway...

_I am definitely going to see her about that later, and I'm going to bring Yuunagi with me..._

Konoka sighed happily and linked her arm through Setsuna's, startling her out of reverie.

"Look at the stars through the trees, Set-chan! Aren't they beautiful?"

Setsuna had to admit it was a beautiful night, what with the clear dark sky glowing with thousands of stars, each burning pinpoints of palest blue, and the faint speck of Venus hovering in the cool, black firmament. Konoka tugged on her arm and sent her a smile. Setsuna couldn't help but smile back.

They were quiet for a while, ambling along a lamp-lit path towards the campus, the buildings illuminated in the distance.

Soft amber light slid over them as they walked, and in the honeyed glow, Konoka's eyes were molten with some sweet emotion and very, very beautiful.

Something twitched low in Setsuna's stomach. That look on her ojou-sama's face was very similar to the one Konoka had given her during their (eventual) meal, as she slid a slender, stocking-clad foot up her leg and against her thighs, the gentle pressure of silk-clad toes a very good feeling indeed.

Setsuna felt heat snake up her neck and knew, even in the dark, she was blushing. Konoka giggled, and bit her lip, looking over at the half-demon shyly.

"What're you thinking about, Set-chan?"

Setsuna smiled, slowly, and let some of the delicious heat pooling in her belly rise up. She knew there was warm desire in her eyes when she looked at Konoka, knew it, because she could see it mirrored in the girl's own gaze.

"_You_," she whispered, and marvelled at the way colour rose in Konoka's cheeks with that soft, simple thought voiced in the still night air.

"I'm thinking about you too, Set-chan."

Konoka's voice was low and dulcet, a silken caress, and Setsuna felt her heart ache with sweet longing as the taller girl turned to her, brushed a gentle hand across her cheek, and, with an exquisite slowness that sped her pulse and made her quiver, kissed her.

Fireworks didn't explode behind her eyes, but, for a moment, Setsuna felt they could've, trembling hands coming up to rest in Konoka's delicately arranged hair.

Konoka sighed into the kiss, pulling the swordswoman closer, pressing their bodies together, her hands sliding down to rest in the curve of her back.

For a few, breathless moments, Setsuna melted into that embrace, those arms, that kiss, secure in the knowledge that here was someone that loved her regardless of what she was, what she did, and cared nothing for her past, and only for their future together. In her ojou-sama's arms, she was _home_.

The sound of Konoka's handbag –correspondingly pink, to match the outfit- dropping onto the footpath brought the young women back to themselves, the kiss breaking with a soft sigh as lips parted.

Setsuna smiled, slow and languid, and slid her hand down to find Konoka's, twining their fingers together. Konoka swayed forward, resting her head on the shorter girl's shoulder for a moment, before looking up at her, lips curved with happiness.

"Love you," she breathed, nuzzling close, ghosting kisses along Setsuna's cheek. "Love you."

Setsuna squeezed her fingers.

"I love you too, Kono-chan." Replied Setsuna, bending down to scoop up the handbag. Handing it to Konoka, she smiled up at the joyful brunette.

There was no embarrassment as the girls reluctantly drew apart, just a deep sense of contentment as they walked, hand in hand, towards the forest that edged the campus, surrounding the base of the slow-rising hill in dense, thicketed trees.

The lamps were fewer here, and spaced further apart; the night sky darker, stars brighter.

Fine hairs on the back of Setsuna's neck pricked as she realised that less lights meant less people; there was a very good chance that they were the only ones out in this part of the forest this late at night.

As the footpath wound tighter through a particularly dense thicket, leaving them closed in and surrounded, Setsuna could not help but feel a little worried.

_Why, though? Why am I worried? There are patrols tonight, and though it seems like we are alone and unprotected, I know that Mana and the others will have our backs._

Forcing herself to calm down, she felt a squeeze on her hand, and glanced over to see Konoka smiling over at her, complete trust and faith in those dark, luminous eyes.

No, Konoka's grandfather would never let his granddaughter wander through the woods unprotected– for Setsuna knew that even though the pair had not talked at length with the elderly mage about their relationship (i.e. that they were in one), Konoemon would be aware of their involvement, and in no way, shape or form would he let the most precious person in his life traipse about at night if he was concerned for her safety.

She had, quite simply, nothing to worry about except getting Konoka home before eleven. She didn't think Asuna would make good on her half-joking threat to have her wings clipped, but one never did know with that particular redhead...

Shaking thoughts of Asuna from her mind, Setsuna turned to the brown-haired beauty beside her, and smiled at Konoka, tugging her close. She couldn't help but smirk a little at the way her Kono-chan squeaked quite pleasantly when she looped an arm about her waist and kissed her gently on the cheek.

No, she had nothing to worry about at all tonight...

* * *

Kotaro was feeling just a little edgy. Just a _little_. After being so graciously hosed down by the kitchen-hands of the campus town's one and only French restaurant, and then given the _derriere velocite_ out the back door, the inu-hanyou was quite pissed off.

And it didn't help that he could feel demons drawing close, hundreds, thousands of demons, pressing against the barrier of Mahora, clustering around the forest where, judging from that same, impossibly appealing scent that drifted on the breeze, Setsuna and her lady friend were taking a moonlit stroll.

_Bird brain. Doesn't she know what's going to happen tonight?_

Gods, he didn't want to hang around and see what happened when the barrier was dropped.

And he knew it was more than damn coincidence that the commander had decided that tonight of all nights was when the sigils that held the barrier in place would be replaced with newer, stronger ones- a process that would only take a minute, a little more, thanks to the technology developed by the labs of Mahora University, but...

A minute was still a minute.

And demons, when the mood took them, could move damn fast. _Damn_ fast.

Shaking the water from his shaggy, fur-like hair, Kotaro felt his ears droop in disgust. He was only a mutt half-breed; what did he know about how demons worked?

_Probably a helluva lot more than the commander and her cronies, that's what. They're going to come crying to me when they find those girls in the forest come morning- all bloodied and beaten and..._

He shuddered. He had to do something! He couldn't just let two _girls_ walk headfirst into a meat-grinder, even if Setsuna-nee-san was nearly as powerful as that she-devil Evangeline-

That thought stopped in its tracks, the hair on the back of his head standing up straight like a saw blade as he felt someone draw close.

He heard Kaede before he saw her, silky voice purring out of the dark space to his left, sliding down his spine like warm honey.

"Kotaro-kun, this one thinks it would be wise for you to stay away from the forest tonight, de gozaru yo."

He shuddered again as the ninja melted into sight, a shadow among shadows whose slitted eyes reflected the moon from dark, liquid depths.

_I forgot how sneaky she can be._

"This one understands your concern for Setsuna-dono. However, our commands from Mana-dono, and, indeed, the headmaster, take precedence. Demons, only a few hundred demons, will not trouble her- or at least they should not, if she is to take her place as Konoka-ojou-sama's protector."

Kaede smiled, and though her voice was friendly, the twist of her lips was not.

"There are more intrigues about tonight than you and this one should involve ourselves in, de gozaru yo."

Kotaro felt his hackles rise.

"We can't just leave them-!" he snarled.

"We can, and must." Said Kaede softly. She closed her eyes.

"Chizuru-dono and Natsumi-dono are nearing the dorms. If you don't want to be left outside tonight when the barriers drop, this one would make my way home now, de gozaru yo."

Kotaro turned to say something to her, probably about how she could stick her ninja wisdom some place unpleasant, when he realised with a start she'd already gone.

_She didn't make a sound when she left... I wonder, will I ever be that good?_

Looking over at the forest, he wrinkled his nose.

Even if he could help, he didn't know what help he would be against hordes of demons. He was just one small hanyou, after all.

Ears drooping in regret and more than a little guilt, Kotaro dashed along the path that led to the dorms.

Tonight wasn't gonna be pretty, not pretty at all...

* * *

They were halfway to the dorms when Konoka felt the barriers flicker and go out.

The mage froze, eyes wide, handbag sliding off her shoulder as cold, prickling magic seized her, tightening her skin in waves of goosebumps and stealing the breath from her lungs in a gasping tide of malevolence.

"Kono-chan-! Are you alright?!"

Setsuna's hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, the overwhelmed brunette sliding to her knees. Something... something bad was happening, something very bad indeed.

So used to the protective magic that surrounded Mahora, Konoka couldn't cope with the feel of the uncaring, impassive universe pressing down on her shoulders.

"Can't you feel it, Set-chan?" she wheezed, clutching her chest as though to pull air in.

"Feel what?"

Covered by Evangeline's glamour, Setsuna had the magic-sensing capabilities of an average, human child- incapable of feeling anything at all until it was right on top of her.

_The pressure. That impassive, unstoppable feeling that the universe is very big and you are very small and very, very alone..._

Tears pricked in her eyes. Setsuna's arms wrapped about her, but her small warmth was nothing compared to the shivers of darkness crashing over Konoka, who felt the world could never be warm again-

And then, a humming vibration, rising through her bones, dragging warmth through her with the slow, powerful rise of layer after layer of protective magic slamming into place, driving the cold from her body in an almost painful rush of hot, benevolent enchantment.

Konoka dragged in a trembling breath, and let Setsuna lift her to her feet. Her eyes watered, grainy and dry. She closed them, huddling closer into Setsuna's arms.

Whatever that feeling was, she didn't ever, ever, _ever_ want to feel like that again.

"Shh, Kono-chan- I'm here. I'll protect you," whispered the swordswoman into her hair, warm breath brushing against her cheek, arms tight about the young mage, "I'll never let anything harm you, I swear-"

Konoka squeaked in pain as the arms about her suddenly tightened.

"Shh!" hissed Setsuna, placing fingers against Konoka's lips.

Her feathers, buried under layers of clothing and thick, sluggish glamour, rustled uncomfortably against her back. Old instincts, older than any magic, shrieked warnings in her ears. Setsuna felt the first prick of talons easing against the thinnest, most fragile layer of glamour coating her fingertips.

_Something is coming._

If she strained herself, she could hear footsteps. Lots of them, and the scrape of scale against scale, too; the susurrant hiss of membranous-and-feather wings tearing the night quiet...

Terror, that most powerful of poisons, trickled down her spine.

She was alone, _unarmed_ and cloaked in magic that made her senses weak and blurry, _at night_, in a forest with her Kono-chan still reeling from a magical backlash powerful enough to indicate something had just gone terribly, terribly wrong with the school's wards...

Evangeline's words, half-remembered, rang through her mind with startling clarity.

"_...it's very dangerous for you to go out unprotected. Every male demon -and possibly a few female ones, who knows- in this part of the world will be able to smell it, and they'll be drawn to you like honey draws bees..."_

In the distance, but drawing closer, an enraged, triumphant scream rang out, followed by hundreds of demonic voices rising in chorus.

Setsuna hissed in a breath. The glamour wasn't enough. The wards had failed for just a moment, and a moment was all it took.

There were demons in Mahora.

Demons that were after her.

And Konoka was trembling, still weak and very afraid, in her arms.

_We have to get to the dorms!_

Dragging Konoka to her feet, Setsuna clutched her hand, tore at the cloaking, binding magic coating her, felt her wings flare loose, grabbed the girl and flew.

* * *

"You know, I didn't think you'd have the stones to go through with this, old man." Eva smirked at Konoemon who, like her, floated above the patch of Mahora forest that a certain half-demon was fleeing through. A hovering sake bottle bumped against the diminutive vamp's hand, and she curled a manicured hand with red lacquer fingernails around its neck, clinking it against a shallow dish.

"Sake?"

"No thankyou. And I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Eva." The Dean's face was placid as he moved pieces on an airborne shoji board- a replacement for the one destroyed in Evangeline's rage a bare few hours ago. Below them, Setsuna pulled a double loop and skimmed under the treetops, losing some of her airborne pursuers in the branches. Under the starlight, her white wings glowed like a beacon, and it was doubtful that any of the massing, charging horde would fall behind for all her aerial acrobatics.

Eva sipped her sake and grinned, white fangs slick with alcohol.

"_This_. The whole 'testing' thing. You know, if Sakurazaki dies tonight, your _precious_ _granddaughter_ does too."

"I have faith in Setsuna-san," said Konoemon mildly, giving the board a gentle nudge so that it floated closer to his companion.

"Me, I wouldn't put all my money on the one horse. Who have you got waiting in the wings?"

Her fingernails _clack_ed against the board, moving a single piece from a tile to a similar tile whose relative position in regards to Konoemon's slowly advancing army was apparently more advantageous, even though no obvious difference could be seen.

"Tatsumiya-san is... _observing_. Should things go... awry, she will step in."

Down in the forest, a mountain-ogre had got lucky with a handmade bow and arrow, sending four crude shafts of wood into a fleeing half-demon's back. Setsuna made no sound, but dropped from the sky like a stone, Konoka shrieking in her arms.

"Like that?" asked Eva, green eyes aglow, smouldering with malice.

Konoemon merely smiled.

"As I have said, Eva, I have complete faith in Setsuna-san."

"Really? Then you wouldn't need sniper-san wandering around the forest."

"Having faith does not mean I am a fool, Evangeline."

Eva opened her mouth to say something, then stopped, eyes narrowing as she peered down at the drama unfolding beneath them.

"Hm. Perhaps bird-brain isn't as useless as I thought."

"I'm sure that's a comfort to the dear girl, Eva, in her times of trouble."

Eva grunted at the sarcasm. "Shut up, old man- I want to see what's happening! I don't need you yammering away in my ear!"

Konoemon smiled, fingers closing about a piece on the hovering game board. Though most often he was thoroughly whipped by the vamp –having had some several hundred years of experience more than him- it seemed this time, perhaps, she was distracted enough that he stood a chance.

Quietly, he moved his pieces along the board, shaking his head a little that she –master of strategy as she was- could not deduce his plans.

_Eva, you should know I would never leave the Empress unguarded, and if protecting her is a chance for the Shogun to stretch her wings... then so be it._

* * *

Setsuna fell as gracefully as she could, considering the circumstances; bundling Konoka up in her wings to provide as much protection as possible as mage and half-demon tumbled end over end down the side of a rocky, sparsely-wooded hill, and splashed into a shallow spring.

Blood pattered down her face in hot, wet drips; the arrows in her back grated painfully against her spine as she stood, shakily, in knee-deep water.

_Lucky those arrows weren't poisoned- we'd be dead by now if they were._

"Set-chan?"

Konoka was moon-sliver pale, white face floating in the dark above her wet and dirty dress. Setsuna blinked to clear the fog that misted her vision. Fingers closed on slick, pointed wood and slid crude, crooked arrows from her back. Her left wing, hanging useless down her side, spasmed in short, sharp bursts of agony.

And in the distance, shrieks, twitters and howls of deranged pleasure drew closer.

"Set-chan-? W-what do we d-do?"

Konoka shivered, teeth chattering together as she reached out to smudge fingers in the red trickling down Setsuna's cheek.

Her Kono-chan was frightened, and in terrible danger. There was no time to dwell on pain, or fear or any of those insignificant, trifling things that could hold her back from protecting the one she held dearest.

Setsuna gritted her teeth, feeling the sharp clack of bone against bone shudder through her aching head, but showed no sign of discomfort to the woman before her.

_She needs me. I have no time to be weak._

"We get you out of here, Kono-chan, that's what we do."

Closing her fingers about Konoka's, the injured half-demon dragged them out of the water, stumbling over slick pebbles to scramble into the forest.

"We have to run until we can get to a clearing- I can't fly in the forest," mumbled Setsuna, dragging the trembling brunette into thicketed wood, sharp branches scraping against bedraggled cloth and catching on bare skin.

The howls drew closer still.

"Set-chan, I-"

"Ssh. Don't talk."

Konoka shuddered, but nodded, stumbling over logs and through slippery leaf litter, trying to ignore the feeling of _pressure_, of malignant _pleasure-in-pain_ howling along to meet them.

Head bowed, she ran, trying to keep up with the frantic swordswoman, keeping a tight hold on the hope that her Set-chan would keep them both alive.

* * *

The first clearing they came to, Setsuna skidded to a stop, flaring her wings out high enough to scrape the tops of trees, ignoring the pain curling around her spine.

"This'll have to do," she whispered, snatching Konoka by the wrist and dragging the shell-shocked mage to face her.

"What-"

"Ojou-sama, listen to me. I can protect you, I can keep you alive, _but you mustn't move_. _You_ _have to stay where you are_, no matter what happens, no matter what you see."

Setsuna's voice was low and urgent, and as she talked, her gaze kept flicking behind her, to the hordes she knew were coming their way.

Konoka felt her eyes grow hot with tears. She knew enough magic to help, surely if she-

No.

That thought was a lie. She was strong, but, right now, not nearly powerful enough to take on an army, not with the few spells she knew.

"_Please_, Ojou-sama- _promise me you'll stay put_. I-I can't fight to keep you alive and protect you at the same time."

Konoka nodded, sharply, face crumpling, torn between having to watch her Set-chan fight for her and helping and dying.

"Good. Now, Kono-chan, stay still-"

Setsuna stood back, dropping into a stance, blocking out the pain as a broken wing scraped the ground.

_Hnh. Hah!_

Konoka felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle as, with a sharp burst of air, _chi_ washed over her.

Words, unsaid but thought, sank into her skin like water as Setsuna, every inch the Shinmeiryuu swordswoman sworn to guard and protect until death, cast a barrier about her.

She had no talismans, no ceremonial weapons to cast and cleave with, just intent and a determination hard enough to bend iron around.

_God of the East, protect on that side._

A sharp gesture with her fingers, and a single shaft of light pierced the ground behind Konoka, who took a shaky step forward.

_God of the West, protect on that side._

Another sharp gesture, and a sliver in front of her. Konoka shook as something, some strange power, jolted through her from the half-cast magic seething around her.

_God of the South, protect on that side. God of the North, protect on that side._

Two more shafts shuddered home. _Power_ shimmered around the terrified girl like heat-haze over a blazing fire; before her Setsuna's pale form glowed like a beacon.

Wrenching screams grew louder, and in the distance, trees toppled with impact enough to shake the ground.

Unfazed, Setsuna's eyes shut tight, and Konoka felt, rather than saw, energy draw tight about her slim figure, ebbing and flowing with every sharp gesture of clenched hands and straight fingers.

_Shinmeiryuu technique..._

Lines of glowing _power_ shimmered from shaft to shaft, criss-crossing and weaving around, below and above Konoka, all surging upwards to a point above her head-

_Anti-Demon Absolute Protect..._

The trees around them, trembling now, leaves rustling and shaking in dreadful counterpoint to the shrieks and howls tearing the night quiet, Konoka's skin rippling with goosebumps as magic washed over her in crackling, undulating waves-

_Barrier of the Four Gods..._

Strips of glamour streamed off Setsuna's skin with hissing, popping flares of magic, leaving streaks of white flesh and hair, the half-demon's eyes snapping open to flare magnesium bright in the shadows as ogres, demons, monsters all burst through the trees about them, the swordswoman unfazed, voice rising above the shrieking din in a cry of triumph-

..._Dokko-Renkaku!_

Magic flared like molten gold above Konoka, coalescing into a shimmering pyramid-barrier, a demon's blade coming straight for her as the pale figure of Setsuna duck and spun like a winged dervish-

And Konoka gasped in a world gone soundless as the rough edge of a demon's blade burst into molten droplets, trickling down the side of her shelter in silver, liquid ooze, a one-eyed Cyclops drawing back in confusion, fingers smoking from the contact.

She tried to move, and found her hands stuck down by her sides, her feet nailed to the floor with fear.

She was safe, even as blows rained in frenzied, crazed bursts of demon-flesh against immutable, unbreakable magic.

_But... but, Set-chan..._

Setsuna, glimpsed in snatches of moonlight skin through hulking, raging beasts, shrieked, soundless with rage as her wings snapped out, silent to Konoka in her protective shell, but with enough force to blow half a dozen bodies out to slam into trees, which broke into splintered wood, crashing down, shaking the ground beneath her.

Talons, each as long as her fingers themselves, glowed translucent on the end of snarled, twisted hands- hands that clawed at the foes who gripped her, tearing limbs from green- and grey-fleshed bodies.

The monsters surrounding Konoka surged forward, leaving the mage forgotten and alone as her love fought, slashing into the masses before her.

Black blood spattered into the air, smoking where it dropped onto the barrier.

Konoka tasted blood as her teeth dug into her lip, and time passed, blow after blow shaking the world around her as bodies flew and soundless battle-cries hung in the air.

There was none of the deadly grace her Set-chan was known for in her movements; her attacks were not smooth and flowing, but sharp and desperate, each move a struggle to kill an enemy before one killed her.

Setsuna, chest-heaving, left wing twisted and limp against her side, streaked with ichor, struggled free atop a heap of bodies. The crowd before her hesitated a little, blood-streaked she-hanyou holding up far too well against the worst that the shadows had to offer, then surged forward, drawn by the lure of _She-in-heat_ and rage at the fallen, mouths twisting into shouts and curses that the shielded mage couldn't hear.

Grim-faced, the swordswoman drew into a stance as her enemies scrambled up towards her, right arm held out and alongside her, in a stance that Konoka recognised from watching her spar with Asuna.

_But... she doesn't have her sword here..._

Setsuna's eyes shut again, mouth shaping syllables that pulsed in the breeze about her, glowing lines hanging in the blood-soaked air.

_Shinmeiryuu special technique..._

_Kiyoku Nai Rai Mei Ken!!_

_(Giant-sized Thunder-clap Blade!!)_

_Chi_ pushed at Konoka, wobbling a little in her magic-bound prison as a shaft of light formed along Setsuna's arm, crackling out as a lightning bolt held in clenched fingers, Setsuna leaping into the air, bringing her arm down in a blast of scorching thunder, singeing the demons before her into a long, burning line of charred, black dust.

A kitsun_e_ dodged the lightning's arc, twisting in mid-air to bring curved arm-blades around, shearing through silken hair-

-and met nothing, Setsuna spinning atop the corpse of an ogre, bringing a glowing arm around-

_Hyakuretsu Okazani!!_

_(Hundred-Strike Cherry-Blossom Cut!!)_

Cherry blossoms _exploded_ into the night, shredding the kitsune into red splashes, petals lashing through the air in a razor-sharp cloud, Setsuna leaping up to hang in the air-

Four ogres rushing towards her, cleaver-blades as long as a park bench held aloft, the soaring figure of her Set-chan so tiny against the dark sky-

_I-I want to help...! But, but h-how...?_

-bring clawed hands down to slash through the skull of a horned giant, blood and brains bursting over her, staining pure, glowing white dark with violence, as she slid down the four-metre tall body in a slicing, tearing fall-

_...I l-lost my handbag, a-and and and my pactio card was in it-_

Setsuna spun to slam knife-sharp claws into a bulging gut, arm jerking up to catch the blade edge slashing down towards her head, even as blood pooled and oozed around her fingers as she stretched her fingers deeper and _twisted-_

Unbidden, an image of Evangeline popped into Konoka's head, blonde vamp in front of a black-board in a teachery pose, pointer in hand.

Hysterical giggles bubbled up in Konoka's throat; clamping her lips, she forced them down as the memory unfurled and rolled across her mind like a loop of film-

"_Pay attention!" she snaps, and paces in front of a board littered with chalky, messy scribbles of symbols and incantations._

"_Now, I know you kids-"and by that, the vamp meant the Negi-gumi spread before her, perched at their desks with notebooks in hand "-have been giving away kisses like candy, and making pactios with no thought or care for their limitations."_

_Turning to glare at Negi in particular, she sent a harsh gaze across the room._

"_Having lots of pactios is all well and good, but you cannot rely on that to save you. Temporary pactios have their limits; you can't use 'em if you don't have your card, for one thing, and over a great enough distance, they don't work at all... you've got to learn to work without them. Don't use them as a magic crutch to compensate for power..."_

_Crossing her arms, Evangeline nodded fiercely._

"_If you can't use your pactio, use your brains and your power and come up with something else! A mage who can't think of a spell to save himself when in danger isn't just useless, he's dead!"_

An idea drifted into Konoka's head on the tails of that memory, and, trembling, the girl dared not think for fear of it fading into the back of her head.

_If... if Negi uses _Cantus Bellax...

_...then..._

_...maybe I can use something similar..._

_...on Set-chan..._

Konoka clenched her fists, and tried to remember the spells she had been taught, drawing on the magic around her, pulling power from that deep well-spring inside her, holding it in her mind as she'd been shown, focusing on the words to form her spell, pressing her hands against the tingling barrier that separated her from the monsters Set-chan was so desperately trying to save her from...

...felt the power well up and tremble against the barrier, pushing at it, on the thinnest edge of bursting through...

And the incantation, a whisper in the air, shaping magic to glow in symbols that fell from her lips with every syllable-

_Chikara. Nouryoku. Shisou suru..._

_(Strength. Ability. Speed of movement...)_

Konoka's fingers brushed against the barrier and, as shocking, prickling pain dashed up her arm, sank through it. Pushing aside the pain, she scrunched her eyes tight, and poured her will and intent into the half-formed incantation.

_Watashi no hogosha..._

_(My protector...)_

Her Set-chan was fighting for her. _For her_. And she could not just do _nothing...!_

_...Hakai suru na teki!!_

_(...Destroy the enemy!!)_

The protective shell around her crackled and burst, no more able to stand against the magic spilling out of Konoka than a sapling before a flood; a tsunami of power shuddered out of the girl, bursting out from outstretched hands, aimed directly at the young woman-

Bloodied, battered and torn, hanging by a broken arm in the hands of a creature the size of a two-storey house, wings dangling loose and tattered down her back-

And sunk into her skin like water into thirsting soil, in a dazzle of light that chased the shadows from the forest around them-

And flared, sending a blast of light skyward, Konoka falling to her knees on earth drenched in blood, hands splayed before her, trying to see-

A shadow of a figure, the merest edge of light against light, thrown into the air-

"_Set-chan-!!"_

* * *

In another clearing, not too far from this one, a dark-robed figure lowered her rifle, pushing goggles up to stare at a shaft of light that pierced the clouds.

Shaking back her hood, Mana felt the sudden rush of wind whip her hair about in dark tendrils, lashing against her face as the air surged towards that bright beacon.

Then, abruptly, darkness; so fast it hurt her eyes, and a single, glowing speck floating down from that rising column of power.

_Old man, it seems that you didn't need me at all._

Shaking her head, she sighed, slinging her rifle over her back, and pulling off leather gloves.

With that amount of power, with that amount of magic, those demons had the average life expectancy of a popsicle in a blast furnace.

There was a shout of triumph, and lightning scorched the sky white in a burst of sound.

No wonder the dean had hesitated and dithered over whether she would be needed tonight; at any rate, even if she didn't do anything, she was still going to get paid for hanging around.

_May as well head on back to the shrine. Hopefully, that ass Kaede hasn't tried picking the locks again..._

Meandering along through the forest, seeing no point in hurrying as the sounds of battle died out behind her, Mana lazily drew a handgun and punched a hole the size of a basketball through the head of a stray goblin with an effortless, perfect shot.

As the body hissed into streams of dying magic, evaporating into the air like so much green smoke, something pink and muddy in the shadows of a tree caught her eye.

A... handbag?

_The ojou-sama must have dropped it. I'll give it to her later, no doubt she'll want _this_ back..._ thought the sniper, bare fingers closing on the smooth, magic-laced paper of a half-revealed pactio card.

Shrugging, Mana shoved the card back into the bag's silken depths, swinging it up and onto her shoulder, looking for all the world a woman out for a night on the town.

Except for the cloak.

And the fact that she had, at any one time, at least eight weapons of a projectile-firing persuasion secreted about her person.

Whistling a jaunty tune to her self –Mana quite often waxed musical when no one was around to hear- the dark beauty sauntered into the woods, content in the knowledge that she was most likely the scariest thing in it.

* * *

_Oh, Kono-chan... I wish you had stayed inside the barrier..._

Power hummed in Setsuna's blood, and the moves which had been so _hard_ before –drained of power, injured, without a weapon and besieged on all sides, so desperate to _protect_- came so _easily_ to her now.

Slowly, her wings fanned the air, the demonic mass below her –less than before, but still so, so many- paralysed with shock, horror, and just a little fear (_the sweet taste of it riding the air enough to let her know the demon was with her now, oh yes, and she would not stop until whatever sought to harm her Kono-chan was quite, quite dead_) looked up.

She flexed her fingers, and watched magic steam off her skin in a fluorescent trail through the air.

"_Set-chan! Set-chan! Oh, you're alright!"_

Konoka bounced up and down on the spot, tears trickling down, trembling with the thought she'd accidentally killed her one and only-

_Oh, Kono-chan. I was supposed to be the hero tonight, and yet, you were the one that saved _me_..._

Her wings flapped again, and drifting down to land in a circle of stunned demons, whose momentary hesitation was rapidly wearing off as they realised the figure in front of them was still wounded, still bleeding and was still ripe for the picking...

Konoka, suddenly aware she was alone and defenceless and that some of the more arrogant demons were beginning to glance her way, squeaked and ran for the tree-line.

"_Stay where you are, Kono-chan. I'll be done soon."_

No false confidence that, either- she could feel the building force inside her, the breath of some god buoying her up and lending her strength, the raw destructive power of lightning crackling in her hands, ready to be unsheathed.

Even without Yuunagi, she knew she could not be beaten. Not now, not tonight, not with her Kono-chan's gift of power riding her like the veil of static before the storm.

Putting aside the burning, splintering pain of dislocation and broken bones, Setsuna swept her arms to the side, slipping into the stance of the oldest and most powerful attack she knew.

"_Shinmeiryuu ketsusen ougi..."_

_(Shinmeiryuu final attack...)_

The demons before her stirred, and as one ran for her, starlight hissing off the edge of terrible, notched blades and cleavers, as monsters winged and clawed fought their way over the corpses of their comrades, monstrous fangs bare and reaching to sink into her sweet flesh-

Sweeping her arms above her head and down, Setsuna screamed in triumph as power oozed out of her, into the half-illusionary sword held tightly in bloody hands, lightning bolt crackling under her fingers growing to titanic proportions-

"_...Shin Kai Kou Ken!!"_

_(...True Thunder-Light Sword!!)_

_**Kkzassssshhhhhh...! **_

_**Zzzzaaasssssssshhhh!!**_

_**Ba-Whoooooomph!!**_

The demons directly in the path of the arcing flash of lightning simply evaporated into the aether, leaving naught but ashes behind. The other demons, not so lucky, sizzled where the lightning struck, and bubbling as their blood boiled, burst into clouds of black and purple steam. The half-dozen or so creatures agile enough to miss the first blow were torn to shreds in the aftermath, static bursts of magical electricity scouring them in razor-sharp jolts, rending limb from limb. The sole survivor, a crow-demon of unusual skill and agility, fled, black wings pounding the night sky in a desperate flurry of feathers.

The air, once rent with battle-screams and thick with the smell and taste of blood was still now; quiet with but the faint hiss and pop of earthing static, and burnt clean with the smell of ozone.

Setsuna's feet touched the earth gently, folding her wings slowly and with a shuddering wince. Her left arm hung loose by her side, bone jutting out from the skin at an odd angle.

"Kono-chan...? I think it's over..." she whispered, and hesitantly, Konoka peeked out from behind her tree –the lone tree left standing in a 100-metre radius.

"Set-chan...? Set-chan!" cried the mage, and, arms flailing, ran directly at the lone, pale figure.

"Kono-cha-_oof..._!"

Stumbing back a little from the impact and, wincing in pain, Setsuna slung her good arm around Konoka's waist, pulling the taller girl tight against her.

"Set-chan, Set-chan, Set-chan," mumbled Konoka, tears hot on her cheeks, nuzzling close against the exhausted figure in her arms, "I-I-I thought you were... were gonna..." sniffling, Konoka blinked back even more tears, looking down at the woman she loved.

Setsuna sighed, and let the warmth of her ojou-sama's concern wash over her.

The battle was over. The enemy was dead. Her ojou-sama was safe. She had _won_...

"Set-chan...? Oh, you're hurt! Your arm! Oh, Set-chan, we've got to get you back-"

Setsuna's eyesight blurred into black, and the last image that floated through her vision before she sank into oblivion was her Kono-chan's concerned face, floating pale and tear-streaked in the darkness.

* * *

The long, fumbling trip back to the dorms -arms slung over her Kono-chan's shoulders and wings trailing feathers behind her- was a blur to Setsuna. Occasionally, painful eyes would open and see the landscape change from woods to park and footpath, to school buildings; but most was a dark blur, half glimpsed through the fog of unconsciousness and the slit of nearly-closed eyelids.

But always, always, her Kono-chan's face, worried and tearful, looking down on her.

The shuddering, biting agony that twisted through her with every step she took with dragging feet seemed so... _weak_ next to the love in those eyes.

As though whatever pain she felt was nothing, nothing to hold onto, nothing to care about as long as those eyes watched her with such pure trust and affection...

"_Set-chan? Set-chan, can you hear me?"_

Dark lashes fluttered, rising slowly to reveal puzzled, quick-silver eyes.

"K-kono-chan...?"

The words scraped their way out of her throat, and Setsuna winced to hear her voice as a parched rasp, licking dry lips. Konoka pressed a glass to her lips and tipped her head to let water trickle down the back of her throat, Setsuna consciously aware that it hurt very much indeed to swallow, and that wasn't a good thing at all.

"Thank gods," whispered Konoka, rocking back to rest on her knees. "I-I was so worried, Set-chan."

Trying to sit up, Setsuna's hand brushed against the cold floor, bumping against her wings, sending a spasm of pain to wrack her body. Her breath hissed through her teeth as Konoka helped her lie back down.

"Please, don't move Set-chan- I can fix you up, but I need a little time to get the spell right." Konoka bit her lips and her warm brown eyes were anxious. "I don't have my p-pactio cards, you see, and it's been more than three minutes anyway... I, I'm gonna have to try and use the same magic I used on you back in Kyoto, remember?"

Setsuna tried to nod, and saw sparks flash behind her eyes, scrunching them shut. Cool fingers closed about her own, something crusted dried onto the skin of her hands.

"J-just stay still, Set-chan. I, I hope this w-works..."

Silence, and the press of hands on her face, soft fingers stroking her cheek.

Light, blue light, pressing soft and cool against her closed eyes. Something soothing washing over her, sliding over her skin like the brush of silk, tracing all the myriad hurts on her body, and easing them into sweet wholeness.

Her ojou-sama's voice, whispering prayers, and that healing blue light creeping in through the gap in her eyelashes...

"Please, heal her- let my Set-chan be all right... please..."

_Kono-chan..._

"Please... I know I've no right to ask this of you, but... I need her. She... she is the most important person in the world to me..."

_...Kono-chan, you don't need to do this for me... I'll be alright..._

"S-she saved me tonight, and, I-I-I want to save her..."

A thrum of power, and magic spilling up, out and over in a cerulean cascade; Setsuna whimpered as the waves hit, crashing onto skin, oozing into her in a rush of shimmering, tingling warmth.

Her eyes snapped open; Her head tipped back, body arching, rising up as the magic gripped her. Setsuna felt a moan shudder out of her, trickling past her lips before she could stop it; even now, even through the haze of pleasure that was her Kono-chan's magic rushing over her, through her, mending the wounds both inside and out that pained her, even now, she was embarrassed about how _good_ it felt...

Konoka, eyes glazed, rose slowly from the ground, feet dangling in the air as the magic lifted her up, head tossed back and long hair streaming in an unseen wind. Even dirty and in a ripped dress, hair tangled and knotted with twigs and leaves, smears of blood tracing her hands, her face- even then, to Setsuna, she was still impossibly beautiful.

Sapphire light suffused the young woman, glowed along her skin, trailing from her fingertips in phosphorent streams that caressed and soothed Setsuna's aching body; she felt her wings straighten and fan themselves out, reaching up to scrape the roof of the room.

Small cuts and scrapes on her hands and arms stung briefly, before melting into smooth, unbroken skin in a shimmer of blue sparks; cuts sealed themselves, and the broken bones in her body came together with a click and pulse of magic that flared behind her eyes. Setsuna blinked to clear the tears away. It felt good, but it hurt a little too.

Her Kono-chan drifted in a haze of pulsing, glowing light. As Setsuna struggled to her feet, whole again, the power wrapped around Konoka shivered and winked out; the young mage tumbling down into Setsuna's waiting arms.

"D-did I... did I fix you? Are you b-better now, Set-chan?"

A trembling hand cupped Setsuna's cheek, smudged the dried blood that traced her left cheek. Tears welled in sad brown eyes, and Konoka choked back a sob.

"Kono-chan, Kono-chan, I'm okay, I'm okay- please, don't cry..."

Squeezing the young woman close, arms tight about her, Setsuna felt wet tears trickle down her neck and drop onto her shoulder.

"Ssh, Kono-chan... I'm okay." Pressing a kiss to the top of Konoka's head, Setsuna shivered.

_That was very, very close back there. If Kono-chan hadn't... I would've..._

Pushing the thought aside, she gently stood the trembling mage back on her feet, and reached out to brush a tear away. Red smudged along where her fingers touched; Setsuna looked down in horror at bloodstained hands.

As she looked down at herself, what she saw wasn't much better; her clothes were stiff and caked with blood and dirt; long, dark smears patterned the skin on her arms, and even her feathers were dry and crusted. Konoka, too, was bloody; most of it Setsuna's, from where she'd half-carried the girl home.

_Home... this is my room, _realised the half-demon, glancing about at the familiar austere environment, livened only by a few photos scattered here and there. Resting by the door was her school bag; on the small, kitchenette table her school books.

Reverently placed in a holder, Yuunagi sat on the coffee-table, not three metres from where she stood.

"Set-chan, I-I-I think w-we should get cleaned up," whispered Konoka, shivering a little in her torn dress. "It's c-c-c-cold in h-here," she stammered, wrapping her arms about herself.

_She's going into shock,_ thought Setsuna, hurrying forward to bundle the shell-shocked girl back into her arms.

"We'll get you warm, Kono-chan, don't worry," mind buzzing with thoughts on how to prevent shock, Setsuna decided that a warm shower would be a good idea for both of them. "Come on, let's get you into a shower, hmm?"

Konoka nodded, sniffled a little, and let herself be guided to the bathroom, Setsuna's arms draped protectively about her shoulders.

* * *

If the circumstances had been different, Setsuna would have normally died of embarrassment about three times by now, most likely due to massive nasal haemorrhage.

However, as it was, she had no time to be painfully shy; her Kono-chan was going into shock and every time the brunette glanced down at the blood covering her hands, the shivers that shook her grew more and more violent.

Clamping down hard on the faint, treacherous stirrings of heat low in her belly, Setsuna steeled herself. It wasn't as if she'd never seen her Kono-chan naked, after all; so why was it so damn hard to keep her mind clean? Even as she was, Konoka was still the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and regardless of what had happened to the both of them tonight, the quickening desire humming low in her body wanted to make itself known.

_No! I mustn't- she's hurt, and scared and, and I have to control myself! I'm her protector, dammit! Right now Kono-chan needs protecting so I have to act like one!_

Swallowing, she stepped closer, laying hands gently on the girl's shoulders.

"Kono-chan? I, uh, I'm gonna help you get undressed, okay?"

The trembling brunette nodded and looped her arms about Setsuna's neck, eyes scrunched painfully shut as the swordswoman stripped her bloodied clothes away with brisk efficiency. If her hands shook a little when she reached for her ojou-sama's underwear, delicately patterned with lace and now blood-stained beyond repair, Konoka didn't notice.

"I'm going to turn the shower on, Kono-chan- you'll have to let go of me for a little while, but I'll be right back," murmured Setsuna in a soothing tone, slowly untangling herself from Konoka's frantic grip, and yanking on the taps.

A burst of steam filled the small bathroom as the showerhead gushed forth hot water; gently, Setsuna guided Konoka under the heated stream, sluicing away blood and filth from the pale, shivering woman.

Even as she watched, colour came back to her Kono-chan's cheeks.

"You're gonna be okay, Kono-chan. Just stay in the shower til you feel better, okay? Let me know if you feel dizzy."

With that, the swordswoman slipped her fingers free from Konoka's, and turned for the door.

"_Wait!_ S-Set-chan, don't leave! P-please, don't, don't g-go..."

What had started as a panicked yelp trailed into a pleading whisper, and Setsuna flinched at the panic in Konoka's eyes. Trembling hands, dripping thin streams of reddish water, reached for her.

A sinking feeling settled in her stomach.

_I can't leave her alone when she's like this..._

"P-please, S-set-chan, y-you need a shower too. D-don't go," whispered Konoka, water trickling down her face in pink-tinged rivulets.

Swallowing hard, Setsuna nodded, and kicked her shoes off, sitting down on the toilet lid to pull her socks off.

_Get a grip, Setsuna. It's not like you've never bathed with her either. Konoka needs you now, not your perverted thoughts; if you can't take care of her when she needs you, then you aren't the protector you thought you were._

Stripping her clothes off in brisk, jerking movements, Setsuna glanced down at the pile of bloody cloth at her feet, and the faint smears of red on the bathroom floor.

_I'm going to need to clean that all up later._

Folding her wings flat against her back, hesitating for just a few seconds, she took a deep breath and stepped into the steamy shower, straight into Konoka's trembling arms.

"I'm here, Kono-chan... I won't leave you."

_I'll never leave you, Kono-chan. Never. Not as long as you need me._

* * *

The shuddering panic in her Kono-chan's eyes every time she moved too far from her worried Setsuna; stepping out of the shower to get another bottle of shampoo from under the sink had almost sent Konoka into hysterics, and it had taken Setsuna five minutes to calm her down.

Ruffling her feathers to help the water sluice through them, Setsuna scrubbed a handful of shampoo into Konoka's hair, the taller girl disturbingly quiet as they knelt at the bottom of the shower. Threading her fingers through silky brown strands, Setsuna kneaded and rubbed tangled locks into a lather, then tipped Konoka's head back into the shower stream until the water ran clean.

Konoka's eyes were closed, and her breathing was fast and shallow, and that was worrying too; the way the girl had flinched when Setsuna slid a soapy cloth over her back bothered her as well.

_You should never be this scared, Kono-chan; I should never give you cause to._

Bitter self-disgust rose in Setsuna's throat. This whole damn thing was her fault; if she hadn't organised for their date to be tonight-

"_I almost lost you tonight."_

Konoka's mournful whisper was so quiet Setsuna almost missed it.

"Kono-chan?"

The tearful brunette leant into Setsuna, wrapping the shorter girl's arms about her.

"I was so, so scared, Set-chan. When you were fighting, all I could think was that you were doing that to protect _me_, to save _me_, and you could've died out there tonight because of _me-_"

"Don't say that, Kono-chan. It wasn't your fault. If anything, it was mine-" Setsuna cut herself off as Konoka turned to face her, hand sliding up to cup her cheek.

"Don't say that yourself, Set-chan. I don't know why what happened tonight happened, but I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Bottom lip trembling, she stroked her fingers down Setsuna's cheek in a silken caress.

In spite of herself, Setsuna felt something low in her body tighten at the touch.

"I don't want to go back to my room tonight, Set-chan. Can I- can I stay with you?"

Setsuna smiled gently into the soft press of Konoka's fingers as they traced her cheekbone, coming to rest, butterfly-light, on her lips.

"Of course, Kono-chan. If you want to stay, stay."

Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to the tip of Konoka's nose, wringing out of her the first smile Setsuna had seen since they'd been attacked.

It was watery, and thin, and very, very small- but it was a smile, and that was a start.

"C'mon, Kono-chan, let's finish cleaning up, and then we'll get you out and into some warm clothes."

* * *

Flicking off the kitchenette light, Setsuna walked into the lamp-lit lounge area with a frown.

"I'm sorry I don't have anything else for you to wear, Kono-chan, but most of my clothes won't fit you, so-"

"It's okay, Set-chan. I'm warm and it's nice and soft." Pulling Setsuna's dressing gown tighter around herself, Konoka tucked her feet up onto the couch. The pyjama-clad swordswoman fretted a little, annoyed at herself that she only had her old and worn dressing gown to offer the brunette, but unable to find anything else that would fit the taller girl's curvy frame.

Konoka, brown hair drying in soft waves about her pale face, smiled up at Setsuna and accepted a cup of hot chocolate gratefully, wrapping her hands about the mug to warm them.

"At least your underwear fits me, ne?"

Setsuna flushed at that, spluttering incoherently as Konoka giggled.

Although her Kono-chan seemed better, Setsuna knew that whatever had caused the girl to break down wasn't so easily solved by a warm shower and a change of clothes. She needed comfort, and security and to know that, above all, Setsuna cared for her and would not rest until she felt safe again.

Yawning, Konoka _clink_ed her mug down onto the coffee table, and then patted the couch beside her, indicating for the half-demon to sit down. Dropping herself onto the cushions, Setsuna felt the heat rise in her cheeks as Konoka cuddled close, snuggling into the shorter girl's arms.

"So sleepy... it's the hot chocolate, I swear..." mumbled Konoka, face half-buried in Setsuna's damp hair, clinging to her pale neck in snow-coloured locks.

"I'll set my bed up for you if you like," said Setsuna, tracing white fingers through her ojou-sama's dark hair, clean and sweet-smelling of fruit-scented shampoo, "I've never had a roommate, so I don't have a bunk, I'm afraid. I'll just take the couch tonight, though."

Pressed close to Setsuna, Konoka stiffened a little, and forced herself to relax.

"Kono-chan...?"

"I don't... I don't think I can sleep alone tonight, Set-chan," whispered the brunette, pulling Setsuna's arms tighter about her. "Please, sleep with me tonight. _I, I d-don't wanna be alone..."_

Setsuna swallowed.

_Oh no._

Opening her mouth to say how that wasn't a very good idea at all, Setsuna stopped at the look on her Kono-chan's face- that pleading, frightened look that said, all too clearly, the other girl needed her tonight.

Setsuna sighed. She could feel her willpower crumbling away even as she opened her mouth to say no, it wasn't a good idea at all-

"Okay, Kono-chan. I'll sleep with you. I won't leave you."

Konoka nodded, eyes swimming with unshed tears, and sniffed, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"You must think I'm a scaredy-cat, Set-chan. I mean, look at you, you're okay and I'm just a, just a blubbering mess..."

Setsuna bumped her forehead against Konoka's, reaching up a hand to stroke fingertips lightly against a soft, smooth cheek.

"I think you are the bravest person I know, Kono-chan. You were terrified tonight, but you didn't run, and you saved me. If you hadn't helped me out tonight, Kono-chan, I would've died."

"I didn't do anything special, Set-chan..." she whispered.

"You will forgive me if I do not believe you, Kono-chan._ I owe you my life_."

Konoka shuddered a little at the power and sincerity of those words; as though, by their being said, some dark fate had been denied, some horrible event that had been so close to happening tonight had been avoided, and by her actions alone.

_You... you could've died Set-chan. You really could have; this wasn't some practice-battle at Eva's resort, this was _real_ and I almost _lost_ you._

_Almost. You're still here. And..._

_...I never want you to leave me, Set-chan. Never. I want to stay with you forever..._

Setsuna smiled at tearful brown eyes and, leaning in, pressed a soft, brief kiss against Konoka's mouth.

At least, that was her intention. At the moment her lips brushed against Konoka's, the brunette looped her arms about Setsuna's neck, crushing her close. Setsuna felt teeth nip against the flesh of her bottom lip, felt her Kono-chan ease her mouth open and kiss her with more urgency than the half-demon would have expected; felt fingers clench against her skin in a wordless plea for something Setsuna wasn't sure she could give.

_Oh, Kono-chan. You don't know what you do to me..._

Desire simmered in her blood, thick and sweet, no longer demanding but still present, some sweet pressure against her will that she could just give into...

_But that would not be right. I can't. I want to, but I can't-_

A warm hand slid up the back of her pyjama shirt, startling her, breaking her chain of thought; she couldn't protest though, not when soft fingers stroked against the base of her wings, tangling into the feathers there. The silken caress of those fingers sent tingles spilling down her body, tightening nerves and easing her down into drowsy, delicious warmth as her Kono-chan pushed her back onto the lounge, her head resting against the cushions as that soft mouth left hers to spill kisses down her neck.

_Wait,_ whispered a voice in Setsuna's mind, but was drowned out by sweet sensation as warm fingers stroked up and over her belly, tracing gentle circles around her navel.

"Set-chan..." whispered a voice, thick with something she couldn't name, breath hot against her skin, hands sliding to her hips, resting on the elastic of her pyjama bottoms.

Desire throbbing in her veins as fingers slid between cloth and skin, something wet pattering down onto her stomach-

_A tear..._

_Wait, no! Kono-chan!_

Setsuna jerked back from questing hands, wanting heat leaching from her as cold realisation crashed down, hard enough to bruise. Something trickled across her stomach. Setsuna swept a hand down, and her fingertips brushed against wetness.

Konoka pulled back, pressing herself against the end of the couch, arms curled about her stomach. A wet trail glimmered against the curve of her cheek, casting a silver shadow across her skin in the dim light.

Bringing damp fingers to her lips, Setsuna tasted salt.

"Kono-chan, why are you crying?"

"Set-chan, I- _I don't know_," whispered Konoka, seeming to huddle in on herself. "Why- why did you pull back from me?"

Setsuna sighed, and reached out a hand to her love, fingertips brushing against the skin of her calf, and resting on the brunette's knee.

"Because I don't want you to... to... if you don't want to," she finished lamely, unsure of what was wrong, and how she could fix it, terribly aware of the fact that a mere moment ago the hands that were clenching themselves in her ojou-sama's lap had been inching down her abdomen, heading lower...

Something clenched in Setsuna's stomach. _Please don't tell me she thought she had to... had to..._

"But... what if I wanted to?"

Setsuna jerked her head up at that, those five words hanging in the air between them. Konoka didn't look her in the eye, but kept her head bowed, teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. Her shoulders were slumped, and faint tremors ran along the young mage's body, causing her hands to twist themselves into the fuzz of the dressing gown.

"Kono-chan...?"

"You want to, I know you do. I could feel it when you kissed me, Set-chan, and it felt really, really good. I... I knew I was safe and protected in your arms, and that I was so, so loved- so loved and wanted and needed you couldn't help yourself. I felt that every time you kissed me tonight Set-chan, _but you still stopped_. Why? Don't you... _want_ me?"

Confused, and torn between duty and desire, Setsuna opened and closed her mouth, stammering for words that wouldn't come.

"Because I... I want _you_, Set-chan."

Something, some piece of the puzzle, clicked into place for Setsuna. Standing, she took Konoka's hand and pulled her upright, looking up at the tearful woman she loved so much.

_If we do this, Kono-chan... If we do this now, there's no going back. Not for either of us. Because if we get this close, I'm not letting you go, Kono-chan. Not ever._

"I want you too, Kono-chan."

The last, a whisper against warm lips, Setsuna pulling the trembling girl close, kissing her with all the desperate love and need that had surged through her when she'd known her Kono-chan was in danger, and that she had to keep her safe with everything she had.

Konoka pressed herself against the slender swordswoman, digging her hands into her narrow hips, crushing their bodies together, tears sliding down her cheeks as she kissed the smaller woman with everything she had; all the fear and pain, love and need she had within her.

One hand slid loose from their tight embrace to tangle with Setsuna's, catching on the white-haired girl's slim fingers.

Konoka broke the kiss, and reaching down for Setsuna's hand, tugged the girl towards the narrow, single bed against the far wall.

A moment's hesitation flitted across Setsuna's face, and Konoka reached out to cup her cheek, tangling fingers in soft, pale hair.

"Please, Set-chan- I _need_ you," she beseeched, fingers slipping down Setsuna's neck in a light caress, a pleading look in brown eyes molten with longing. "Be with me tonight, Set-chan. Please, _please_ don't say no, not now. Please," the last word a hushed, timid supplication, the dark-eyed girl quivering with a desperate yearning, and Setsuna shivered at the power in that urgent plea.

_You can't leave her like this,_ whispered Setsuna's thoughts, as tears shimmered in Konoka's eyes.

"I _need_ you, Set-chan," she begged, "and I love you so much. _Please..._"

_Go to her. Tell her that you'll be with her, you'll slake that thirst for her, you'll ease that pain in her the only way you can..._

"Yes," sighed Setsuna, love rising up and spilling through her as Konoka sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling the blankets back.

Lamplight cast dim shadows against the wall as she reached for Setsuna, pulling the slender girl down onto the mattress, the brunette turning to lie beside her. As Setsuna's arms slid about her waist, Konoka dropped frantic kisses across her mouth, cheeks and neck; hands reaching for the buttons of Setsuna's top, kissing her bare skin as each button came loose.

"Kono-chan..." whispered Setsuna, half a moan, reaching for the shoulders of the girl above her, sliding the dressing gown down to hang about the girl's waist as she straddled her.

Konoka tugged Setsuna's pyjama-shirt open, exposing faintly luminous white skin, and small, firm breasts.

Setsuna shivered, feathers rustling against the sheet. In the shadowy half-light of the darkened room, her eyes shimmered with silver lights, dancing against her dark, pooling pupils. Goosebumps shivered along Konoka's skin as warm hands reached for the tie about her waist, tugging it loose, and dragging the gown off her to slump from the bed and onto the floor, leaving the brunette suddenly bare in the cool air, almost naked but for plain white panties. Setsuna's hands slid down to cup her bottom as the hanyou half-rose, leaning up to kiss Konoka with gentle heat. Slender fingers dipped below the elastic of her borrowed underwear, and as warm fingers stroked along the crease where hip met thigh, Setsuna flipped them in a fast, smooth motion that made Konoka's head spin.

Suddenly on top, the white-haired girl snapped her wings out, flicking her shirt off with the abrupt movement and casting it into the air to flop over a small chest of drawers. She folded her wings, slowly, brushing feathers against the wall with a susurrant rustle.

Beneath her, caught in the grip of some panicked need, Konoka reached for her, hands clenching in the fabric of her pyjama bottoms.

Fighting down the desire that bubbled in her veins, Setsuna kissed her slowly, gently, savouring the sweetness of her mouth and the rising warmth in her belly. Konoka made a faint, urgent noise, yanking on Setsuna's pyjama bottoms, and dragging them down against her hips. Setsuna freed a hand and caught Konoka's wrists, lifting them above her head. Konoka twisted a little in protest, stilling with a shuddering moan as the swordswoman, leaning down to brush warm skin against warm skin, closed her mouth around a pink nipple.

Konoka arched her back, wrists sliding from the swordswoman's grip as Setsuna's name hissed between her teeth in a choked, aching moan.

_Wanting_ exploded into Setsuna's body as fireworks crackled along her nerves; heat flooded her to pool in her lower body, causing sparks to shudder down her veins with every brush of skin against skin from her Kono-chan's thrashing movements beneath her. Flicking her tongue against the pert nipple, she drew back, dropping kisses ever so lightly onto soft skin.

Konoka jerked a little, twisted beneath her, hands straining the cloth about her hips, and as Setsuna leant back, the brunette tugged harder on cotton, straining the seams of the thin fabric. She made another urgent noise, this one hungry, as Setsuna gently closed her hands about Konoka's, and drew them away from her pyjama bottoms.

Konoka made a noise of protest. Setsuna kissed her, slowly, drawing that muffled _hmph_ into a sweet, slow moan.

_I have to be gentle. She's hurting now, and I can't let her just rush forward into things. This is... this is the first time we've been together, and I want it to be _special_..._

Shaking hands cradled Konoka's, slender fingers tangling with hers and lifting the girl's hands above her head again, pressing them into the pillow.

"Kono-chan..." breathed Setsuna, and her eyes were inhumanely beautiful as she looked down at the brunette. Setsuna blinked slowly, lashes sweeping her cheeks in an oddly sensual motion, bending down to press a chaste kiss to slightly parted lips.

"I want you, Kono-chan. I want to do so many things to you, and to let you do them to me...," she whispered against her love's soft mouth, and Konoka felt hot blood surge to her face.

"But... tonight is... is the _first_ time, and I want it to be... _special_. If I... if I let you loose, Kono-chan, there's no telling what I'll do if you..."

Setsuna swallowed, and kissed the tip of Konoka's nose.

"_Let me_," she whispered, and her tone sent warm, shivering sparks pooling in Konoka's belly.

"Tell me you'll let me tonight. There will always be time for... _more_... later..."

Something tightened in her stomach as the half-demon wrapped a single hand about her slender wrists, trailing the other down her body, a hairs-breadth above her skin. Goosebumps washed over her in the wake of that delicate almost-touch; a spark of excitement flared in her belly as Konoka pressed suddenly warm, tingling thighs together between Setsuna's legs.

Setsuna smiled, and the expression was gentle, loving, and just a little mischievous; she sat back, freeing Konoka's hands to twist against the pillow.

"Let me, Kono-chan..." she murmured, easing a knee between the brunettes thighs, moving them apart in a slow, gentle motion, hands fanning over warm skin in light, delicate touches, fingers flitting to the hem of Konoka's borrowed panties.

"Please...?" she whispered shyly, but bold enough that Konoka swallowed, a curious sensation, hot and needy, settling at the base of her stomach. Konoka nodded once, shivering in delight as warm fingers slid her underwear down, brushing against dark curls at the apex of her thighs.

Unwillingly, her hips lifted into that touch, and Setsuna closed her eyes as her fingertips ghosted over Konoka's skin, desire a smouldering heat in her stomach that waited for the merest breath to flare into life.

And stopped, as Konoka squeaked out a word that could've been 'stop'.

Her hands stilled instantly, and as she looked down at Konoka, there was something infinitely loving and gentle in her eyes that seemed to banish whatever fears the young woman below her felt.

"I won't hurt you, Kono-chan. I won't do anything you don't want me to."

Konoka shook her head, dark hair rustling against the pillow.

"It... it's not that," she whispered, and licked her lips nervously. "I... I just wanted to ask if... can you be naked too? I don't want to be the only one with no clothes." She giggled a little at that, cheeks hot, and Setsuna raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I... I'm a little embarrassed. I, I like what... what you're doing to me," Konoka whispered, hands cupping her hot cheeks, eyes downcast shyly, even as a wicked little smile curved her lips. "Is that... _naughty_ of me?"

Setsuna felt like laughing as sweet joy suffused her, filled her up to the brim, her Kono-chan below her so shy, so gentle and yet so _eager._

"Yes, Kono-chan. But I like you when you're... _naughty_."

The young mage blushed even further at that, and her hand reached for Setsuna as she rose up, and deftly slid off the brunette's hips and off the bed, standing and shivering a little in the cool air.

"I'm coming back, Kono-chan. I just... have to take these off first." Murmured the swordswoman, hands about her hips, and slid her pants and panties down in one smooth movement, pale, slender legs slipping from the pile of fabric on the floor, delicate feet very white against the dark carpet.

Konoka shivered a little as the half-demon, wings folded against her back, slid back up her body, coming to rest between Konoka's legs, hips bumping against her own as she half-reared back, and tipped her head to look down at the woman beneath her.

"Is this... better, Kono-chan?"

Mute at the sight of the beauty before her, Konoka could only nod as, white eyes dark with desire, Setsuna moved to straddle her in one smooth movement, wings opening to fan at the air slightly, sending a cool breeze to tickle Konoka's feet.

Shivering in delight, the mage moaned as Setsuna kissed her softly, with just a touch of hunger, stroking the inside of Konoka's mouth with a warm tongue.

The dark-haired girl moaned into the kiss, body arching to press against Setsuna, whose hands teased and tickled in soft touches down her body, heating her blood with desire.

"I love you Kono-chan," whispered Setsuna against Konoka's mouth, pulling back from the mage's blushing face, and her eyes glittered with desire.

"And... I want you very, _very_ much..."

Her hands slid to Konoka's hips, stroking down a curved waist.

The swordswoman dipped her head to Konoka's throat, flicking her tongue over the pulse jumping in her neck. Konoka's eyes sighed closed with a barely audible sweep of eyelash against skin; Setsuna smiled into the soft skin of her ojou-sama's throat, and traced a line of gentle, teasing kisses down across her collarbone.

"Oh..." said Konoka, head jerking a little as teeth scraped gently across her collarbone, heartbeat pounding in her ears. A kiss pressed against her reddened skin, soothed the small hurt- which hadn't exactly _hurt_ so much as surprised her, Setsuna dropping kisses downwards, across her chest, between her breasts as warm hands smoothed across her thighs, small faint touches against soft skin, easing her legs apart.

A hitched breath escaped her lips as Setsuna drew a nipple into her mouth once more, closing her lips and sucking hard enough to draw a throaty moan from the mage. Fingertips brushed lightly against the junction of her thighs, and Konoka jerked a little as a stab of pleasure lanced into her belly. Fingertips brushed against damp, soft curls; Setsuna lifted her head to look down at the breathless girl beneath her, a wordless question glowing in desire-darkened eyes.

"_Yes..."_ breathed Konoka, and one finger slipped along dampened skin in a slow, dragging motion that set her afire. Goosebumps washed over her skin as dainty, slender fingers slid along the crease in dark curls, parting moist flesh with a testing fingertip, easing a gentle finger into wet warmth.

Konoka moaned in a shudder of warm breath, snapping her head back, and felt her hair slide over the pillow, bunching beneath her cheek. Warm breath fanned her neck, Setsuna pressing close to drop kisses beneath the brunette's ear, even as the swordswoman teased pleasure from her, fingers sure and gentle in even, smooth strokes. Her hands fisted in the tangled sheets, panties straining and stretching about her ankles as her legs jerked and twitched.

"_Oh... oh... oh... oh, oh, oh..."_

Lips brushed Konoka's cheek, followed by a flick of a tongue, Setsuna tracing a wet trail up and along her jaw line, closing her lips about the fleshy part of the mage's ear as she shuddered and moaned, hands twitching and bunching in the sheets, head tossing against her pillow.

"I love you, Kono-chan," whispered Setsuna, and Konoka found the words _I love you too_ pressing against her lips as scorching, searing pleasure filled her, almost painful, twisting along her nerves with every glide and stroke of those wicked fingers, heating her blood so it bubbled within her, hissing sweet, aching steam through her veins with every beat of her heart.

And still, her Set-chan kept going, faster now, one hand stroking along her hips, waist, chest, cupping a warm breast with trembling fingers. Scattering kisses along the mage's throat, collarbone and the tops of her breasts, Setsuna bent her head to take a darkened, swollen nipple into her mouth in the same moment one finger slid deeper into drenched, silken flesh with a swift thrust.

"_Oh! Ohhhhhhh...!"_

Setsuna scraped her teeth gently along sensitive skin, earning a strangled gasp from Konoka, too far gone to think straight as a dainty finger slipped in and out of her, squeezing pleasure from her in shuddering, gasping breaths that wracked her slender frame. Her body shook, arms coming up to rest around Setsuna's back, fingers scrunching into feathers, body aflame with glorious, delirious delight.

_Too much... oh, oh, too much... Set-chan, oh... I can't... I think... I'm _dying_..._

A scream exploded from the mage, high-pitched and ululating, tears pricking her tightly scrunched eyes, head tossing, sitting up as her body clenched tight about the slender finger buried within her, limbs shaking, white exploding into the red dark behind closed eyes as irresistible, unstoppable heat gripped her, teasing, drawing out aching, ecstatic sensation.

"_...S-Set-cha-ah-nnn...!"_

And then, sweet pleasure ebbing, easing, Konoka shuddering in delight, Setsuna leaning forward to wrap an arm about Konoka as she shook from head to foot, panties sliding off the toes of one foot to drop onto the floor. Setsuna kissed the top of Konoka's head, her cheeks, her closed eyes, her soft, panting mouth as the girl trembled and moaned in her embrace.

Setsuna slid fingers from soft, slippery flesh with a slow, gentle motion, sending a wave of shivers over the already-trembling mage. The brunette's arms cuddled about Setsuna, who nuzzled into her ojou-sama's chest, face pressed against warm breasts.

Slowly, Konoka leant back into the bed, pulling Setsuna down with her, shivering as the swordswoman's snowy hair spilt over her chest in soft, cool locks.

A moment passed, the two women curled together, hearts slowing to beat in synch. Slowly, the tremors that shook the dark-haired mage eased, and the goosebumps that prickled along her skin smoothed down. Konoka sighed, her warm breath moving Setsuna's hair, which tickled against her chest. Setsuna smiled against the skin of Konoka's stomach, and the brunette giggled as she flicked her tongue against the underside of her breast.

"That tickles," she whispered, eyes blinking slowly, languidly as Setsuna raised her head lazily.

"And what I did just then didn't?" asked Setsuna, voice warm and just a touch mischievous for all her shyness.

Konoka shook her head, and her breath hitched in her throat at the heat in Setsuna's eyes. Those white, smoky irises were almost completely black; swallowed by the hungry darkness that pooled in desiring eyes. Setsuna leant up, stretched a little, and kissed Konoka softly; before the young mage could react, she dipped her head and blew a warm trail of air down and across Konoka's body, raising goosebumps on soft skin.

"Set-chan, why are you- oh!"

Kissing down and across her Kono-chan's stomach, Setsuna brushed a warm tongue against Konoka's bellybutton, earning a squeak, and rose to press a half-kiss against the mage's panting mouth, pulling back before the brunette could kiss back.

From there, she slowly licked a path down Konoka's body, lingering across her collarbone, breasts and navel as she had wanted to do since Asuna had interrupted them the day before- a period of time that felt like forever to the half-demon.

_That was just yesterday... I could not have known then I would have you in my arms like this now, Kono-chan. If anyone had told me I would have you writhing beneath me, calling my name, I would not have believed them._

Swirling her tongue around Konoka's bellybutton, Setsuna traced a wet path lower, lower and heard Konoka's fast breathing hitch in her throat with no small amount of delight.

Her Kono-chan's legs shook, and tried to press together; Setsuna eased herself between them, one leg sliding over her back and brushing against her folded wings as she pressed a kiss to the damp, warm skin on the inside of Konoka's thigh, resting her cheek there as she looked up at the girl spread out on the mattress before her.

_My Kono-chan, in my bed._

The half-demon smiled, filled with a sweet, possessive joy that was better than any happiness she'd ever felt before.

_My Kono-chan._

"I'll stop if you want me to..." she murmured, stroking idle hands against the brunette's curved waist.

Konoka moaned, back arching up; Setsuna took that as her answer, and pressed her hands against the girl's hips, holding her down against the mattress, brushing the tip of her tongue in a wet trail along Konoka's skin towards the point where her thighs met.

"_Oooohhh..."_ sighed Konoka, skin warm and flushed against Setsuna's cheek as she swept her tongue through damp curls and over moist flesh, tasting wet sweetness. Desire simmered in the pit of the half-demon's belly, but this was a different feeling than the insatiable hunger that had gripped her before; this was the urge to hear her Kono-chan moan, see her thrash, feel her trembling fingers scrunch in her hair as she wrung pleasure from her drop by delicious drop. Setsuna stroked warm, silky wetness, flicking over a hardened button of flesh in a soft caress that made Konoka gasp, hips jerking against the firm hands that pinned her.

"_Oh...! Oh, oh, oh...! Set-chan!"_

Setsuna fed at slick, wet flesh with lips and tongue, feeling warm thighs slide over her shoulder, pressing against her cheeks, tightening as pleasure gripped Konoka. The shaking mage thrashed under Setsuna's gentle ministrations, wetness dripping down over Setsuna's chin as her Kono-chan's breath caught and hitched and sobbing, urgent moans trickled past panting, parted lips, as warm sweetness flooded the half-demon's mouth.

"_Ssss-Se-Set-channnnnnn... oh, oh, oh!"_

Konoka arched up again, hands grasping for the swordswoman as hot, aching need gripped her; hands landing in Setsuna's loose, soft hair and scratching fingernails against her scalp as the pale-haired girl stroked one hand down from Konoka's hips to her groin, sliding a finger deep into the thrashing mage's sodden depths.

"_...ooohhhhh! Oh, oh, oohhhh..."_panted Konoka, legs wrapping around the swordswoman's head, feet dangling against shaking wings as she half-sat up, sobbing with delight as mouth and hand together teased aching, throbbing flesh into scorching, burning pleasure that swept over the young mage in wave after wave of hot, surging sensation.

"_Sss... Sss... Sss... S-S-Set-ch-ch-chaaaahhhnnnn..."_

Unable to take it any longer, the mage's slender arms hooked around Setsuna's shoulders, dragging the half demon up and along her body, hand still buried in damp curls and stroking into moist, slick flesh. Legs wrapped around Setsuna's waist, and hips ground against her own, as Konoka fell back onto the bed, head tossing as her fingernails dug red half-moons into Setsuna's back, scraping thin lines of burning pain through white feathers.

Hand slipping free, Setsuna slid one leg between Konoka's twitching, jerking ones and felt wet flesh brush against her thigh.

Konoka moaned, euphoric, as her own thigh brushed between Setsuna's, sending sharp pleasure stabbing into the half-demon's stomach. The swordswoman moaned, surprising herself as a shudder of pleasure swept over her; Konoka wrapped her arms tight about Setsuna's slender waist, tugging her close as the half-demon's hands cupped Konoka's bottom, digging firm fingers into soft flesh.

Konoka panted and moaned, thrashing against her body as thigh rubbed against thigh, groin against groin and slickness against slickness, calling Setsuna's name over and over and over, breath hot in the girl's ear.

"_Set-chan-! S-Set-chan! I, oh, I love you..."_ she gasped, tucking her head close to the shorter girl until they were cheek to cheek. Setsuna pulled back and pressed her forehead to Konoka's, shivering as their bodies rocked and swayed together.

"_I love you too, K-Kono-chan... I always will,"_ she whispered back, tears starting in her eyes as she leant forward to press a kiss against Konoka's soft mouth.

_I will love you for the rest of my life, Kono-chan; for as long as I live, I'll protect you with everything I have in me, always._

The mage kissed her back gently, even as fierce waves of sensation crashed over her; tipping her head back Konoka screamed in rapture, high-pitched and husky, sobbing as she collapsed, shuddering, into Setsuna's arms.

Setsuna groaned as her wings wrapped about them, bodies pressed tight together as the girls shook and swayed, the swordswoman's head buried in Konoka's neck, dropping soft, gentle kisses against her skin.

Slowly, the girls tipped sideways, falling back onto the soft bed, whispering each other's names in husky, hushed voices; dropping kisses on whatever skin they could find, stroking warm bodies with gentle hands, and brushing tears from each others eyes.

Slowly, their breathing eased into a gentle rhythm, and the shudders subsided. Too tired to move, mage and swordswoman, lovers both, drifted into sleep far too quickly to struggle against it, aching and sated and beautifully, wonderfully exhausted.

* * *

As the breathing of the two young women slowed into the steady rhythm indicative of sleep, the chest of drawers at the end of the bed –the one on which the swordswoman's pyjama top hung- seemed to shimmer as soft light oozed between the cracks of drawers like sunlight seeping through clouded dawn.

Pale, rosy light spilled out between gaps in dark, plain wood, and a top drawer on the left hand-side rattled briefly as it scraped out of its recess to hang half-open in the front of the chest. Rising up from the dark depths of the drawer, spinning slowly about each other, were two pieces of illuminated, magically-bound paper, two copies of a contracted pactio crafted for the currently-sleeping ministra by the small, ermine-fey who went by the alias of Albert Chamomile.

Setsuna's face, imprinted on magic cards, seemed serene and peaceful bathed with the warm, pink glow of pactio magic at work; briefly, her twin pactio contracts flared with magic, paper crumbling as the cards burst into a shower of sparks that evaporated into curls of wispy, smoky aether before hitting the carpet.

(_half-way across campus, sitting on a bench in a small kitchenette attached to the oldest building on campus, the Tatsumiya Shrine, Konoka's handbag slumped over, contents spilling onto the bench, and with an identical burst of magic that was powerful enough to pull Mana from her sleep three rooms down, her cards shimmered and hissed into a shower of rosy, glowing sparks._

_The startled shrine-maiden watched in apt fascination as a soft, dawn-pink glow suffused her kitchen and then winked out, leaving the room dark once more and the handbag innocent of purpose on her bench._

_Shrugging, she turned and went back to bed, attributing this to another one of those weird things that followed the Negi-gumi, and would pay it no mind until the next morning, when the time came to give the bag back to Konoka herself..._)

The rose glow sunk into the carpet also, but did not die out; instead, tracing twisting lines of enchantment to cast a magic circle about the bed, concentric loops and swirls forming into complex and arcane designs, far more intricate and certainly far more powerful than the simple circle created by Chamo during the forging of temporary contracts.

A floating, shimmering haze hovered over the slim bed and its occupants; magical energy crackled from symbol to symbol as one of the oldest, and most powerful magicks known to mage-kind was invoked, the two invokees oblivious to the fuss as they slept on, unaware of the rosy, sparkling glow of power as it sunk into their bodies.

Light flared; brilliant against the dim as glowing symbols seared themselves into the air, chasing words of archaic Latin and Japanese across the suddenly-bright room.

The two occupants of the narrow bed breathed steadily, and did not notice magic surge and ride the air like a current, spiralling into the air, drawn in through half-closed mouths; did not feel the magic as it sunk into their bones, washing through their blood and connecting each party to the other in a binding, permanent contract that could not be broken as long as both lived.

Magic symbols scribed themselves in hot pink lines across Setsuna's skin, sinking into her flesh and spilling over onto her feathers which glowed, cherry-blossom pink before fading into silk white; lines and traceries of mystic words splashed onto Konoka and hovered over her skin as scattered puddles of rosy lights, streaming together to pool at the base of her abdomen, protectively cradled by Setsuna's hand, even as she slept.

Magic sluiced over her, draining into the soft curve of her belly, disappearing into the skin beneath Setsuna's palm.

Abruptly, the light flashed out, leaving the room dimly-lit by the single lamp glowing in the corner of the lounge.

Almost as if in an afterthought, the light-bulb sparked once, and with a faint _pop_ flickered out, plunging the room into darkness.

* * *

_Both young women slept on, intertwined and cradled in each other's arms, with no knowledge of what had just happened, dreaming sweet dreams and completely oblivious to the fact their lives had just diverted down a path unpredicted by those that planned their future, and no one was yet aware of this simple fact._

_Morning would bring change to Mahora, and to those within it. A great change indeed..._

* * *

**End Part Six**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **Um, yeah, pr0ns much?

(My editor would like to make this comment: w00t for b00bs!!1!1 Please ignore her; I do.)

Anyway, more plot, some funny things and just a touch of lemon means that with this chapter we have come to the conclusion of the _Conception_ Arc! Coming soon to a theatre near you: the _Baby Bombshell_ Arc!

Reviews make me write faster.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima, in spite of my best efforts, remains the property of its respective owners, creators and proprietors, i.e. people who are not me.

**PREFACE:** Yes, I am aware it has taken me _months_ to update this; I have my reasons, including but not limited to university, exams, relationship-based distractions, new anime to watch, work, various disasters of a familial nature and Christmas. But! All is well again, and thus I have found the time to write this... somewhat _large_ chapter. Not quite as big as the last, but still a fair few words to slog through.

Forgive me? :cringes under desk: Chapters from here onwards should (hopefully) not be as long, and will (hopefully) mean a shorter wait between posts for you. Probably. Maybe? I make no promises -.-;

Thank you to all my readers for your reviews, messages, support and patience! You've no idea how much I appreciate it :D and thank you very much for the positive response to my last chapter- it brought tears to my eyes and a stupid grin to my face XD

Without further ado, on with the show!

**

* * *

**

Egg Belly

**Part Seven**

_

* * *

_

Sunlight washed into the room like the froth on a wave, trickling through cracks in shutters to spill onto the faces of the young women who lay curled about one another in a tangle of smooth, slim limbs and soft hair.

_One woman, pale as a moon-lit snowdrift, stirred in her sleep; her wings, snowy-feathered and currently folded against her back, rustled briefly. Sighing, she slipped back into the embrace of slumber, and did not wake as the other woman –brunette, beautiful and watching her with a peaceful expression- slipped from her arms and from the bed._

Konoka tip-toed away from the bed with all the stealth and grace normally associated with a person of the ninjutsu-persuasion, and attempted to make a break for the bathroom. Flinching with every faint _squeak_ of the underlying floorboards beneath the soft carpeting, the young mage did not notice the dark figure of Mana Tatsumiya seated at the small kitchenette table until she almost tripped over her.

Suddenly very aware that the most dangerous person on campus (barring her dear Set-chan of course) was watching her _butt-naked_ form creep across another girl's room, Konoka froze, leg outstretched, and wobbled like a poorly-balanced statue in the doorway of the kitchen.

_Oh, crap._

Mana smiled, and was no less frightening for her ill-disguised smirk. One hand nudged a cherry-pink handbag, sending its contents spilling across the table-top with a faint tinkling noise.

Konoka twitched, and jerked her head around to see Setsuna mumble something and roll over. Turning back to Mana, Konoka bit her lip.

"I wouldn't worry too much, ojou-sama; if Setsuna didn't wake up when I slipped through the wards, I doubt she'll wake now," whispered the sniper silkily.

Embarrassed and not exactly sure why, Konoka crossed her arms over her chest and attempted to hide behind the kitchen bench.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Returning the handbag that you lost in the woods. What are _you_ doing here?"

Konoka's brain clicked into overdrive. It really was far too early in the morning for this kind of interrogation, and as for answers, only the most obvious sprang to mind, and she didn't think _that_ would go down well with the dark-skinned mercenary.

"Um... I was... waiting for you to return the handbag that I lost in the woods?"

Mana blinked. Slowly, her eyes slid over Konoka's naked figure in one smooth movement, followed by dark eyebrows rising quizzically.

"Were you intending to reward me in a ... _particular_ way? Because, uh, I prefer _cash_."

It took a moment for that to sink in, and when it did, Konoka flushed, squeaked, and ducked behind the kettle.

Pinching the bridge of her nose with slender, dark fingers- the tips of which were callused from years of mercenary work- Mana shook her head.

"I'm not surprised that Setsuna slept late –no doubt she had a busy night last night with all the demons milling about- but I _am_ surprised to find you still here. I would have thought you returned to your room last night. Whatever will Asuna think, I wonder..." murmured the dark beauty slyly.

Konoka bristled, and as righteously as possible considering the circumstances, attempted to move the subject away from her nakedness.

"You leave Asuna out of this! And besides, you can't just break into students rooms whenever you feel like it! _Don't make me tell my grandpa about this-"_

"Tell him _what _exactly? That you and sleeping beauty over there," a nod in the direction of the dozing Setsuna, white wings splayed over the narrow bed, "were doing _things_ good little girls _shouldn't_? Please. You've got nothing on me, and you know it."

The young mage shivered, and not from the cool morning air. If Mana choose to tell her grandfather exactly what she'd seen this morning, both her and her Set-chan would be in a world of trouble.

_If... if grandpa finds out before I'm ready to tell him about Set-chan and me, he could expel her, or make her leave the school._

_And I don't know if she could stand to disobey a direct order from the head of the Kansai Magic Association and live to tell about it..._

Ignoring the brunette's fearful expression, Mana continued in a low voice. "And besides, I'm supposed to be here. Setsuna and I take the morning shift for the security patrol, remember?"

Mana stood, and stretched, dark eyes cold and faintly cruel. Konoka felt goosebumps rise on her skin under the weight of that callous, assessing gaze.

"I'm not here to pick a fight with you, Konoka. I'm just here to give you some advice. If you're serious about her –and judging from what I've seen this morning, you'd better be- I'd tell your grandfather, and tell him soon. The old man has plans for you, _ojou-sama_, and if you want to make sure those plans take into account certain recent developments..." Her gaze flicked to the peaceful half-demon, curled into a sleepy ball amongst sheets that were almost as pale as her skin.

"...Well, I'd get a move on if I were you."

Mana smiled, and the expression was neither reassuring nor friendly.

"Oh, and just because I'm feeling generous this morning, I won't bill you for the clean-up in the forest. Leaving demon bodies scattered over the landscape is not a clever thing to do if you don't want the whole school to find out what happened last night." Straightening her jacket and adjusting her shoulder holster, Mana jerked her head in Setsuna's direction. "Tell bird-brain that I'll expect to see her on patrol whenever she decides to roll out of bed."

Brushing past a naked, confused and infuriated Konoka, the dark-skinned beauty slipped out the door with barely a breath of sound, closing it silently behind her, and leaving Konoka to deal with the realisation that unless she did something quickly, things were going to go downhill really, _really_ fast...

_Oh, double crap._

* * *

"_Set-chan? Um, it's almost seven o'clock... you might wanna wake up."_

The concerned voice in Setsuna's ear drew her from the haze of sleep, and opening her eyes to look up at Konoka's worried face acted like a bucket of cold water to her mental state.

"Kono-chan? What's wrong?" asked the swordswoman, brain passing from _Doze_ to _Must Protect_ mode in 0.2 seconds. The half-demon jerked bolt-upright and clasped Konoka's shoulders. "What happened?"

Konoka hesitated. After last night, it was almost cruel to wake her Set-chan up like this, but she didn't want Mana to come back looking for her...

"Well, you see, I kinda woke up to have a shower and... uh, _Mana was waiting for me at the kitchen table._" The last words blurted out in a rush, and not sure the smaller woman would have made any sense at all from her garbled speech, Konoka watched Setsuna's blank face carefully for any sign of understanding.

Setsuna blinked slowly as the frosty implications of the young mage's statement sunk into her brain, like drops of ice-water onto warm skin, and each thought chilled her even more.

_Mana was here. _

_I overslept because of last night, and Mana was here. _

_I must not have heard my alarm, and Kono-chan wandered out to the kitchen, _naked_, and MANA WAS HERE..._

_Gods in heaven, we're in trouble now!_

"Um, Set-chan...? Are you- _whoa!"_

Konoka, suddenly airborne, landed precariously on the tousled sheets as Setsuna dashed past her, little more than a white streak, and literally _flew_ into the closet, disrupting the air with enough force to send the young mage skyward.

There was a sound like the ripping of silk and, barely ten seconds later, the frantic half-demon emerged from the depths of the wardrobe, blowing the door off its hinges as she skidded towards the entrance, half-dressed in her school uniform, and shockingly pale against the dim light of the room-

"_Set-chan, wait! You're still all white!"_

At the sound of Konoka's frantic plea, Setsuna froze half-way through the front door, threw an arm up in front of her face, and stared blankly at the white skin that met her gaze.

"_Gah!"_

Dashing back into the room, she slammed the door shut and rested against it, breathing harshly.

"Thankyou for pointing that out, Kono-chan," she sighed, turning towards Konoka, still seated on the bed, "else I would have walked straight out that doo-"

Setsuna paused, mouth half open.

Konoka blinked.

Slowly, flushed heat rose in Setsuna's face, and a small trickle of blood dripped from her nose and down onto her chin, where it _plink_ed onto the carpet.

"K-kono-chan? You, you m-might wanna put some clothes on," she squeaked, cheeks the same ripe red shade as fresh tomatoes.

Konoka, puzzled, looked down at herself. Then at Setsuna and her bloody nose. Then at herself again. And blinked, and blushed, and yanked the tangled sheets up to her chin, suddenly feeling very shy.

Between them both, the world shrank down to three points of realisation:

Konoka was very, very naked.

Setsuna was in a similar state of undress, or had been up until some thirty seconds ago.

Both of them had spent the night in the same room, in the same bed, and also naked.

There could only be one scenario drawn from these facts, and Setsuna -whose mental state was already stressed enough with the concept that Tatsumiya Mana, baddest bitch on campus, had been in her room with both herself and her Kono-chan unaware, the sniper no doubt very aware of those three incriminating facts- felt her face get hot and sweat drip off her forehead as the only logical conclusion sank into her brain.

Last night, she and Konoka had had _sex_.

_Sex._

_S. E. X. _

_As in, sexual intercourse. As in, something no self-respecting body-guard should ever, ever, _ever_ engage in with their charge. As in, an activity that would surely have Konoka's father flay her alive._

_We- I- Kono-chan- and then- oh my-_

The stunned swordswoman reeled on the spot, and then, overworked brain unable to take it any more, her white eyes rolling back into their sockets, Konoka calling her name but to no avail, the distraught half-demon toppled down into a tangled pile of limbs in the small hallway that led to the door and was out cold before her head even hit the floor.

* * *

When Setsuna came to, she was in a bathtub with Chachamaru.

Having woken wet, naked, with a headache (not to mention having her hair washed by a nude gynoid) and a near-perfect recollection of what exactly she had done the night before, she was quite sure this was some nightmare sent to torment her from the depths of hell, and not, in fact, the real world; perhaps Konoka's father had found out she'd defiled his dear daughter and slaughtered her where she stood, and this was to be her punishment for the rest of eternity?

(a small, treacherous voice, mostly ignored but also most likely responsible for the previous night's events whispered thoughts in the vein of _oh, but it was worth it_ and _I will die happily, oh very happily, in knowing that last night she was _mine_ in every way that matters_ as well as the exquisite recollections of her Kono-chan calling her name over and over and _over-_)

Though, as far as punishments went, it wasn't _exactly_ what she'd have expected to find in the depths of hell- the shallow edges, perhaps, but not the _depths_. It could be barely considered torment really, all things to be considered- the water was warm, and the soap a silky slide against her feathers that sent shivers through her and a vague feeling of guilt as well, though the way the robot kept tugging on her hair _was_ sending sharp spikes of pain into the space behind her eyes...

_Does being groomed by force count as torture?_

"Sakurazaki-san, it is difficult enough to wash your hair with your constant movement, not to mention your constant twitching- if you do not sit still, I will have to render you unconscious again in order to continue cleaning you."

Setsuna blinked, body automatically stilling under the faint level of disapproval in Chachamaru's tone. Kneeling behind her in a half-filled antique enamel tub –complete with brass lion-claw feet- the gynoid clucked disapprovingly, and fisted another handful of shampoo into Setsuna's dripping hair.

The woman in question frowned, blinked twice, resisted the urge to leap out of the bathtub and run for the window, and spoke as an idea slow in forming sank into her head:

"Wait, _again_? What do you mean _again_?"

"You regained consciousness half-way to the villa. My master was quite surprised- it was thought you would not come to for some three hours hence considering the blow you had taken to your temporal lobe when your head collided with the tiled doorstep. Since you started protesting soundly about being carried aloft by myself, I found it necessary to deal a calculated blow to the nerve cluster at the base of your neck. Rest assured that I have been trained to administer maximum helplessness through minimum effort, and it is highly unlikely that any brain damage will result." Here the gynoid hesitated, and there was the faintest touch of guilt in her synthetic voice when she spoke next. "Probably."

Setsuna blinked, and ignored the shampoo dripping into her eyes.

So she was in Evangeline's villa. That would explain Chachamaru, though not the bath...

_...and that's not even asking the obvious question: why am I in such a position in the first place? How did I get into such a state that it was decided I needed a bath, and why is Chachamaru the one giving it to me? And who's doing the deciding anyway?_

As though she had read her mind, though she in fact lacked the necessary software to do so, Chachamaru continued, readying a jug of clean water to be poured over the naked half-demon's soapy hair.

"When Konoka-san called my master to come help her with you in your unconscious state, it was decided that you needed a bath before she would work the necessary magicks on you. My master refuses to work on people who reek of 'sex and sweat', Sakurazaki-san- perhaps next time you should ensure you are clean before you need to have your glamour refitted?"

"I'll keep that in mind," whispered Setsuna, spluttering a little as a jug of cold water was upended over her, washing stinging soap from her hair and into her eyes.

So that explained why she was in the bath at least.

Though still not why the gynoid found it necessary to be in there _with_ her...

_Some questions are better left unanswered. Gods, I hope Kono-chan doesn't see me like this-_

Setsuna froze, and made no sound as she was bodily lifted from the bath and bundled into a fluffy towel.

_Kono-chan..._

Displaying more forethought than should be possible by a concoction of plastic, steel and various magicks, Chachamaru handed Setsuna a pressed, folded bundle of clean clothes- her school uniform. Mind still reeling, Setsuna blinked up at the tall, feminine figure before her, and stood, dazed, clothes in hand.

"Dress yourself as best you can, Sakurazaki-san; my master and Konoka-san are downstairs waiting. Don't worry about the towel; I will collect it later."

Still nude, the gynoid strode briskly towards the bathroom door and out of sight.

Setsuna stared at the clothes.

Setsuna dropped the towel, and got into the clothes.

Setsuna, mind still preoccupied with the enormity of her current situation and that her Kono-chan was waiting for her downstairs, swallowed, shook her feathers out, smoothed her dripping hair down as best she could, and walked slowly to the door.

_Here goes nothing._

* * *

It was barely seven in the morning, and the hour was therefore ungodly by Asuna's standards, when her teacher/ward leapt from his loft, tumbled onto her bed and jerked her groggily awake, panicked hands gripping her shoulders.

"_Asuuuuna! Asuuuuna! Wake up! Something terrible has happened!"_

Blinking, the bleary-eyed red-head stared up at the boy.

"What, you finally hit puberty?" she mumbled grumpily. Now was not the time to deal with Negi's histrionics.

(being half-asleep had never stopped Asuna from being sarcastic.)

"Ye- _No!_ Asuna, now is _not_ the time! Something _terrible_ has happened to Konoka-san and Setsuna-san! _They could be in mortal peril!_" wailed Negi, arms flailing wildly, and very nearly propelling him off the narrow bunk.

Asuna rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up.

"What, really? Mortal peril?" she asked blearily. The way Negi nodded his head hysterically and tried to drag her towards the floor suggested that perhaps, just maybe, he was serious.

"Yes!" Snapped the boy, hands flapping urgently as he watched Asuna scramble out of her blankets, "Do hurry up, Asuna, they could be in peril _right this minute!_"

"Sheesh, kid, don't get your panties in a bunch," mumbled the red-head grumpily, certain that Setsuna, wherever she might be, could more than handle a little peril, mortal or otherwise, and such a situation certainly didn't require her to be dragged out of her warm bed early on the morning of her one day off work.

Negi, too impatient to wait, scrambled down the wooden ladder attached to the bed, and dashed across the room, scrambling back into his loft and disappearing with a flurry of thrown clothes and blankets into his small living space.

Asuna, yawning, cursed soundly as a replica of a magical pistol –replete with carved oaken handle- _clonk_ed into her head. Rubbing a lump, she glared up at the frantic boy, who having found what he was looking for, leapt over the railing of his small loft, and landed neatly in front of her. Before Asuna had time to think about the athletic feat the scrawny, almost-fourteen year-old had just performed, Negi thrust a handful of paper in her direction.

"Look! I can't find their cards _anywhere!_" he cried, voice raising into a tearful wail, hands shaking as he held out what Asuna realised were Pactio Cards- the physical representation of every Pactio Negi had ever performed. Scanning the familiar faces, Asuna saw her own, Chisame, Yue, Nodoka- but not Konoka or Setsuna. Those two faces were conspicuously not present, and Asuna felt something cold well at the base of her spine as the implications of their missing cards sank in.

Biting her lip, she looked up at Negi's frightened face.

"Their cards are gone, Asuna. I looked for them everywhere- even tried summoning them to my hand in case I'd just misplaced them, but nothing happened." Tears welled in Negi's eyes. "I even tried summoning them to me without the cards, tracing the magic that binds us in a contract- but I can't feel them anymore. Wherever they are, my magic can't reach them."

Outside, Asuna could hear the sounds of morning stirring; birds chirping, the wind rustling through the trees, the muted murmurs of the other girls in the dormitory as they woke. Inside, nothing but the sound of her pounding heart as silence filled the space between her and the trembling boy before her.

Deep down, Asuna knew she was far more practical than she ever let on, and that whatever situation arose, she knew she could cope if given enough time to wrap her head around what faced her.

Which was why she laid her hands gently on Negi's shoulders, drew a deep breath, looked him in wide, fearful eyes –a sneaking thought whispering _hey, since when was he so tall?_- and smiled gently at him, Negi smiling hesitantly back, before she pulled up her left leg and stamped down on the boy's right foot with all the force she could muster.

Predictably, the short boy-teacher howled in pain, breaking free from her grip to hop about the room, clutching his shin, Pactio cards forgotten.

"_Asuuuuna! Why on earth did you do that?!"_

"Because, you little twit, it's too early to start blubbering like a baby!" snarled Asuna. "We don't know what it means that their cards have disappeared, and I bet you haven't even checked Setsuna's room yet, and here you are, whining like a little kid! _Grow up_, Negi- and don't count this as a disaster before you even know what's going on." Asuna snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, staring down at the startled boy with regal mien akin to any empress ever born. "Go find Chamo- maybe he can tell us what's going on. That vermin ermine was the one who told us about the cards in the first place, it makes sense that he's the most likely to know what it means when they disappear..." added Asuna thoughtfully. Nodding her head once, her face was determined. "While you do that, I'm going to try calling Konoka's mobile. Don't you worry Negi- we'll find them!"

She stopped then, pausing in the middle of her speech, stunned into silence by the way the boy-teacher was looking at her.

"What?" she snapped, trying her best to ignore the amazed look in the boy's eyes. "I can be useful sometimes too, you know. It's not just you who gets to make grand plans and encouraging speeches! So quit staring at me like that!"

Negi smiled gently.

"I didn't say anything at all, Asuna-san. And you know, I'd be lost without you."

Asuna flushed, not sure she enjoyed the warmth glowing in those eyes being directed at her. Ignoring the fizzy feeling in her stomach –just a side effect from being worried about her friends and certainly nothing to do with the shrimp's words at all- Asuna stomped into the kitchen. To look for her mobile, of course. Not because she was embarrassed. Not at all.

"What are you waiting for, Negi? Hurry up and go find Chamo!" she snapped, not looking back to watch the boy dart out the door.

_Hmph. Stupid Negi. Getting himself all worked up over nothing. Bet those girls are just sleeping in or something..._

Refusing to think about the fact that today was a school day, and Konoka would rather die than be late to class, Asuna hastily punched in Konoka's number, and listened to the phone ring out.

_C'mon, Konoka... pick up the phone... please?_

* * *

Incredibly, Evangeline did not launch into a tirade about the stupidity of youth in general, Setsuna in particular as soon as the girl took a trembling step into the small kitchen where her ojou-sama, the petite blonde in question and her robotic maid were seated. Surprisingly, the gaze she turned on the half-demon was, if not kind, than at least non-judgemental, green eyes frostily blank behind delicate wire glasses.

The vampire stood, pushing her chair back silently, indicating for Setsuna to take a seat.

Konoka smiled timidly up at her as the swordswoman slid, grateful if slightly graceless, into the proffered chair, hands resting nervously on the pine table-top.

A heartbeat of silence ensued.

Setsuna swallowed.

Finally, a look of annoyance flitted across Evangeline's face, and she spoke with an exasperated sigh. "I'm not going to tell anyone what you did last night, you idiot; stop acting like you're preparing to face trial. Her father isn't going to pop out of the woodwork, you know."

The diminutive vamp waved a hand crossly, and Chachamaru rose and headed for the kitchen bench, ostensibly to prepare tea, but at the same time guarding the only exit.

Eva focused cool green eyes on the young couple seated before her; both girls squirmed under the weight of that gaze.

"As far as I'm concerned, what events transpired last night after you somehow managed to fight off an army of demons- don't look at me like that birdbrain," she snapped at the startled half-demon, who jerked her head up to gape incredulously at the blonde, "I'm not stupid, I know what happened when you decided to go for an evening stroll on the same night the wards were undergoing maintenance. As I was saying, whatever you two got up to, I don't particularly care, nor do I want to know the gory details." The vamp shuddered theatrically, long hair slipping over her shoulders in corn-silk waves. In the kitchen behind them, the whistling kettle and the delicate _clink_ of fine china against granite-top bench could be heard as Chachamaru went about her given task.

Setsuna, relieved, opened her mouth to speak and was cut off by a slender finger pointed in her direction.

"Don't say a word; I'm not finished."

Eva slid her glasses down to eye swordswoman and mage coldly, eyes dark with malice.

"Let's set things straight, shall we? For the record, I don't like either of you. Setsuna, you are a bird-brained fool who hasn't a lick of sense when it comes to guarding your ward, and you are the most inefficient and pathetic bodyguard I have ever seen. You clearly have no idea how to fulfil your potential, little though it is; nor do you seem to comprehend the danger you place yourself in every day by masquerading as human when you are clearly not." There was a sharp intake of breath from Konoka, and Setsuna flushed angrily as Evangeline's words sank in. Blithely oblivious, the vampire continued. "As for you, Konoka, the only reason I suspect you haven't died of your own unfailing stupidity is the fact you are incredibly, incredibly lucky; every time you find yourself in danger, this heroic fool-" here a slender, red-nailed finger was stabbed in the enraged swordswoman's direction, "-comes to your rescue, oblivious to the magical ripples the both of you send through the aether with your every action. Happy-go-lucky girls like you disgust me, and I honestly don't know why on earth you insist on coming to me for help when it is obvious that I don't particularly give a damn about your petty problems. Ah, thank you, Chachamaru." Finished Evangeline, lifting the delicate cup before her and inhaling the sweet scent wafting from its steaming contents. Apparently ignorant of the fine tremors that shook Setsuna, talons grinding into wood gripped tight in her twitching hands, the slender young woman's eyes dark with murderous intent, Eva took a dainty sip of red-brown tea and nodded appreciatively at her robotic attendant.

"Excellent as always. If there's one thing you're good at, it's making tea."

"You are too kind, master. Do you require anything else?" intoned the green-haired gynoid, synthetic voice quietly inquisitive.

Evangeline, already turning back to the topic at hand, ignored the question; bowing low, Chachamaru retreated to the kitchen once more.

Setsuna, seething at the insults heaped upon her and, even worse, her ojou-sama, fought to restrain her temper. It would not do to haul off and slaughter the petite but evil mage, no matter how tempting; like it or not, she needed Evangeline's assistance to regain some semblance of humanity- at least, until she learnt to work her own cloaking glamour.

"Where was I? Oh yes, the two of you haven't got a working brain between you, I hate you both, and wish you'd just get out of my sight. That said," added the vamp, forestalling Setsuna's rage, "I didn't say I _wouldn't_ help you; only that I find it distasteful. And you'd better believe you're going to pay me handsomely for my assistance."

Eva snorted and waved the hand holding the teacup, scattering droplets of the sweet liquid all over the table.

"After all, try as I might, I can't seem to get you children to leave me alone. And in my efforts to retain my privacy, it has not escaped my notice that the sooner I show you the means to solve your problems, the sooner the pair of you will leave me the hell alone."

Evangeline pinched the bridge of her nose with slender fingers, and closed her eyes as though in pain, laying down her teacup with her free hand.

"Chachamaru, prepare the training program for the castle, will you? And bring me sake. If I'm going to be stuck with this feather-headed fool, I'm going to need something stronger than tea."

The green-haired gynoid bowed smoothly, and departed without a word. Konoka, silent up until now, tentatively raised a hand.

Evangeline, opening a single green eye to a slit, glared at the brunette venomously.

"Spit it out, child. You're not in class and I am not –thank the various gods- your teacher!"

Konoka swallowed, but sat up a little straighter.

"If you're going to be showing Set-chan how to use glamour in your resort, then we're going to be late for class-"

Evangeline snorted.

"Whenever did I say that _you_ were coming, hmm? I'm not going to put up with the two of you making eyes at each other, one of you is bad enough. _You_ are to go to homeroom as per normal and make up an excuse as to why your _dear Set-chan_ isn't in class." Evangeline sniffed. "Not that I particularly care about either of your attendance records, but having you underfoot will make demonstrating the correct use of personal magic difficult." Here an evil grin split over the petite vampire's pale face, red lips curving into a bloody smirk, white teeth bare and glistening. "After all, I can't really show the half-breed how to use her cloak and shield with you to prevent the wounds I inflict from leaving marks, now can I?"

Savouring the fear that bloomed in Konoka's dark eyes, Eva chuckled and rocked back in her chair.

"I did say there would be a price, Setsuna, and your blood spilt will be my coin of choice."

Setsuna, suddenly grim, nodded; Konoka, disturbed, opened her mouth to interject, but was stopped by gentle fingers pressed softly against her lips.

"Ojou-sama, do not fear for me. Eva-chan will not kill me, and I need to learn how to use my glamour if ever I am to return to some semblance of normality. Please, ojou-sama, go to class; I will join you shortly."

Konoka nodded, tears stinging her eyes. Wiping them away hastily, she smiled weakly.

"Just... just be careful, Set-chan. I love you."

"And I you, Kono-chan. Always."

The blonde vamp rolled her eyes.

"Please, spare me the tearful good-byes. You'll have your precious body-guard back, mostly unharmed, in a little over an hour. Now get out of my sight," this with a dismissive wave of a slender, manicured hand, "I've had enough of you already, and it's barely eight o'clock."

Hesitating, Konoka stood, hovering by Setsuna's side. The shorter girl gave her a reassuring smile, and Konoka nodded, trepidation dogging her steps as she headed for the door.

As she walked, she was distantly aware of a _pull_ in the base of her belly- some ethereal cord tugged at her, pulling her back in her Set-chan's direction, even as she moved through the house and out into the forest. The trail before her seemed suddenly lonely, bare stones damp from the morning dew. The tug in her stomach became a dull ache; easy enough to ignore but uncomfortable all the same.

Not daring to look behind her, the young mage took a deep breath, and stepped onto the path.

_Stay safe for me, Set-chan._

* * *

Asuna sighed as the phone rang out for the third time. Konoka wasn't picking up, and no amount of pleading with the girl through message bank was enough to make her call back. The trembling thought that _maybe Konoka isn't in a state to be able to pick up the phone_ was summarily dismissed; Asuna knew that come hell, highwater or bloodthirsty demons, Setsuna would never let anything hurt the dark-haired mage.

Negi was not nearly as confident; he paced jerkily back and forth in the kitchen, hands twitching into fists. Chamo, perched on the kitchen table, shook his head wearily.

"What if something happened to them? What if, just what if, there was a terrible accident and-"

"Negi," said Asuna, not unkindly, "shut the hell up. I'm working on it, and your nervous babbling isn't helping. Take a chill pill and sit down, alright? Geez," muttered the impatient redhead, crossing the room to drag the protesting boy-mage over to the couch.

"But, but, but-!"

"Red's got a point, y'know." Added Chamo, tail sweeping across the tabletop.

Negi shot a frustrated glance in his direction.

"_Not you too, Chamo!"_

"Negi," said Asuna softly, voice humming with exasperation, "_Sit_. _Down. Now._ Okay?"

Sighing, Negi crumpled onto the lounge, hands twisting into the blanket slung carelessly across the cushions. His brow creased, and although momentarily cowed by her temper, Asuna knew it was only a matter of time before the boy ran off and did something foolish.

"Look," she began, raising a hand to forestall his argument, "I'm going to go check out Setsuna's room. There's a good chance Konoka stayed over there last night –maybe they got back late from dinner- and she's probably left her phone on silent again. I mean, if you were on a date with someone, you wouldn't want to be interrupted, right?"

Asuna laughed weakly. Chamo sighed. Negi was not impressed. The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch as Negi's fingers twitched in the direction of his staff, resting in the corner of the lounge room.

Asuna grimaced. Now came the hard part.

"I want you and Chamo to stay here. And before you say anything, someone has to keep watch in case Konoka comes home. I mean, if she comes home to an empty house, there'll be no one to grill her about why she stayed out so late, right?"

The boy mage _humph_ed, turning away. Shaking her head, the redhead turned to Chamo. "You agree with me, right?"

"You got it, ane-san. It's a good plan." The ermine-fey ran a paw over his whiskers. "Just you be careful, though. There's not many things out there that can nullify a contract- and I think that's what happened in this case, Red. We don't wanna lose you too."

A heartbeat skipped past, in which all three tried to imagine a creature dangerous enough to take down a trained shinmeiryuu swordswoman, not to mention an enraged half-demon hell-bent on protecting her sworn liege and lady-love and shuddered. Asuna shook her head and chuckled through gritted teeth, pushing off the foreboding feeling sinking into her stomach like a brick.

"Hey, you think there's anything out there that can take me down? You gotta be joking!"

She laughed again, the sound fake, and Negi hunched his shoulders a little more.

Sobering up, the redhead jerked her head towards the door. "Whatever. Look, I'll be careful, but you two keep an eye out too, alright? I won't be too long- class starts soon, and my track record's pretty good this term. Don't wanna be late, and all that."

Smoothing down her school blazer, Asuna's fingers slid into her pocket to touch the smooth paper of her pactio card. Reassured by the tingle of magic pressing against her fingertips (and the knowledge that, should the need arise, she could summon a bloody big sword), she turned, and with a hesitant backward glance towards a scowling Negi, headed out the door.

* * *

"You're not trying hard enough. Do you want to look like an inhuman freak for the rest of your pitiful existence? If not," drawled Evangeline, pacing about Setsuna where the half-demon sat, cross-legged inside a casting circle, "then you will try harder and _concentrate_."

Setsuna felt a muscle in her left eyelid twitch.

_Drawing on the inherent magic pooling in my bones is easier said than done with you hissing venom in my ear._

As though she had heard the wayward thought, the magus nosferatu narrowed eyes that glittered cruelly.

"If there is enough magic in the air that I can sustain this illusion –in itself, another form of glamour, child," added Eva, gesturing about her to the lush forest scenery and the castle that shimmered in the distant fog, "then why can you not cast a simple cloaking spell?" Behind her, there was a faint clink of china on glass as Chachamaru, appropriately attired in goth-loli maid outfit, laid a delicate tea-set reverently on a small glass-topped table. Smoothing invisible creases in the hand-sown lace tablecloth, she appeared to take no notice of the two figures occupying the stone archway before her.

"Spells were never my forte," bit out Setsuna, the words dragging through her clenched teeth. Pins and needles prickled along her skin from being forced to stay in a meditative position for nigh on five hours, and the blood in her temples throbbed loudly, each beat in perfect counterpoint to the twitching agony of cramping nerves. The muscles in her leg trembled in distress, but she made no attempt to ease her own discomfort. Such weakness could be ignored through willpower alone, and if she was ever to get out of this gods-forsaken "resort" she needed to master what the temperamental vampire was attempting to teach her.

The vampire –replete in 'evil master' attire, complete with red-framed wire glasses- frowned, and stood before the kneeling figure. Setsuna flinched back as Evangeline leant down, green eyes sparking behind her glasses, and cast her thoughtful gaze across the half-demon's face.

"You are a shinmeiryuu swordswoman, are you not? I thought you were taught spellcraft as part of your training."

"I... did not excel at my lessons in magic. Eventually, it was... decided... that I should concentrate on my swordwork."

Gritting her teeth, Setsuna felt a hot rush of shame shiver into her stomach. No matter how hard she had tried as a child, even the most basic of magic spells, yes, even the pitiful _ardescat_, had eluded her. Although Eishun-sama had assured her that not everyone was capable of casting magic, and that there was no disgrace in her incompatibility with that aspect of shinmeiryuu training, her skill with the manipulation of _chi_ more than enough to cover her flaws, she had always felt ashamed as she watched the new recruits –and, indeed, many of the Negi-gumi themselves- outshine her in the one skill she had never been able to acquire.

"_Hmph_. Strange. So much for the inherent ethereal properties of demon blood..." muttered Evangeline, reaching out a clawed fingertip to brush against Setsuna's cheek. The swordswoman flinched as a quick slash laid her cheek open, exposing red flesh to cool air. Blood, hot on her skin, sluiced down her throat. Dazed, she watched as Eva swept her hand through the gore and, daintily, licked each finger clean. Her eyes flooded black and she shuddered a little, blonde hair writhing over her shoulders in thick locks as she tossed her head back in apparent delight.

"Interesting... there is magic there, though not all of it is yours. How odd..." her voice slurred a little, and Setsuna watched in growing horror as, drunk on blood, the vampire's head rolled lazily in her direction, eyes glistening with darkness.

A red tongue flicked out to sweep over white teeth, and Setsuna, very much aware that the collar of her school shirt was soaked in red, shuffled backwards on stiff legs that throbbed with pins and needles.

Before she could open her mouth to protest, Evangeline was on her in a shadowed streak, lace dress fluttering out behind her, clawed hands about Setsuna's throat, slamming her hard into the stone floor, hissing mouth inches from her bloodied neck.

There was nothing human in Eva's eyes now, for all she looked like a child; soul-creeping evil seethed along her skin where the vampire touched her, and Setsuna felt her feathers ruffle against the bricks, the _wrongness_ of the situation oozing into her instincts like chilled water-

Inside her, heat roiled against that frigid touch, and Setsuna found herself suddenly choking on her own rage that such a creature should touch her as coruscating fire spilt along every vein, screaming for her to rise up and slaughter this _dead thing_ that dared lay claws upon her-

Eva, lost in instinct, fixed a gaze that leaked dark magic as tears of burning black fire upon the half-demon pinned beneath her, pupils white hot in the dark hollows in her eyes and snarled, lips splitting wide to expose teeth like a mouthful of broken glass-

"Master, your tea is ready."

Evangeline, distracted by the synthetic voice of Chachamaru, crystal clear although she was some few hundred metres away, blinked and sat up, apparently oblivious to the woman sprawled beneath her.

"Hmm? A tea break already? Well, I suppose I could do with a cup..."

Her eyes, green again, seemed to glow with faint disapproval as she snatched Setsuna's slack hand and hauled her to her feet with no apparent effort.

"Some swordswoman you are. You did nothing but cower beneath me, half-breed. So much for your combat skills..."

Setsuna flushed unhappily, and snatched her hand back from Eva, who raised an eyebrow. Dried blood itched on her cheek, she was tired, sore, and more than a little confused by what had just happened and the half-pint sorceress was giving her the evil eye.

_I've still got nineteen hours to go... oh, joy..._

"That said, I suppose I should apologise. I am not some neophyte thrall to be dizzied by the taste of blood; I did not expect yours to be so potent, and lost my control." Eva sniffed, and wiped her mouth, smudging faint smears of red across her fingertips. "What _have_ you been doing of late to have so much energy seething inside you, I wonder?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," muttered Setsuna, smoothing down her clothes as best she could, and walking stiffly towards the small table where Chachamaru poured tea.

The magus nosferatu rolled her eyes.

"Really, Setsuna- how childish of you. It was a simple question, and if you cannot survive my interrogation, I'm sure you won't fare well against that of her father's."

Choosing to ignore that statement, Setsuna took the seat proffered to her by a graceful Chachamaru, who bowed and placed a steaming cup in front of her. Sipping hesitantly at the tea –it would be just like Eva to poison her own brew- the swordswoman relaxed at little when the fragrant beverage proved to be oolong tea, and accordingly non-toxic (and quite tasty too).

"You do realise he's going to skin you alive, yes?"

_Ppbbbsht!_

Lukewarm tea dripped off every available surface, including Chachamaru (to the robot maid's credit, she merely flicked her wipers on before continuing about her serving tasks) and Eva shook a slender hand in a disgusted manner, scattering drops onto the stained tablecloth. Setsuna, choking on her own tongue, hacked and spluttered until the drenched gynoid thumped her soundly on the back. Flopping forward onto the table, further ruining her school blouse, Setsuna sighed weakly into a puddle of tea.

"You had to wait until I'd taken a sip before you said that, didn't you?"

"Of course," sniffed the vampire, shaking back cornsilk tresses. "It's not nearly as enjoyable teasing you if you don't make an absolute ass of yourself in the process. You mortals are so amusing."

"...I'm glad I was of service."

"Oh please, Setsuna- don't try sarcasm on me. I'm five centuries your senior. At any rate, I only brought it up because I'm curious to know whether you think you stand a chance or not if Eishun challenges you to a duel."

Setsuna blinked, and managed to convey confusion, apprehension and disbelief in one simple facial movement.

With a gentle rattle of cup on saucer, the blonde took a sip of her tea, proclaimed it passable to a waiting Chachamaru, and fixed her sinister gaze on the bewildered half-demon.

"You seduced his daughter-"

"_-I'll have you know the ojou-sama was the one who seduced me!"_

Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Whatever the facts of the matter, he'll never believe that and you know it. You _deflowered_ his pure and innocent daughter-" (_pure and innocent my foot_, thought Setsuna, who'd had firsthand experience of exactly how devious Konoka actually was) "-and then had the gall to show your face in public. He has -by shinmeiryuu lore and the code of honour, not to mention a father's prerogative- every right in the world to demand satisfaction from you. And I think you would find it difficult to weasel your way out of a confrontation with him, especially if you want to stay with your dear ojou-sama."

Setsuna, face down in her tea-puddle, shuddered. Evangeline, savouring her obvious distress, smiled winsomely.

"When you do eventually face him on the duelling field, I would appreciate it if you nominated me as your second."

That was different; Setsuna lifted her head, and made no attempt to disguise her distrust. "_Why?_"

"Because when he slaughters you where you stand, I would make it clear that I am there to defend your honour- and take the chance to knock the smug bastard down a peg. It's been far too long since he duelled me last; swordmaster or not, I rather think he's forgotten exactly how weak he is compared to me."

_That_ was more like the Eva-chan she knew. Setsuna laid back down in her spilt drink.

"Sure. I'll be dead; it's not like it will actually matter to me what you do afterwards."

Eva lifted a thin eyebrow.

"That's a bit defeatist of you, Setsuna- whatever happened to the 'I must live for my ojou-sama!' attitude, hmm?"

In response to this, Setsuna blew miserable bubbles in her lukewarm beverage.

Eva rolled her eyes. "Pull yourself together, will you? It's not fun if you just give-up."

More bubbles.

Eva pinched the bridge of her nose, a gesture Setsuna was coming to associate with annoyance on the diminutive despot's behalf, and sneered down at the young woman sprawled into her own tea.

"By the gods, but you are pathetic. You can't tell me that _you_, you who faced hordes of demons and slaughtered them where they stood, you who achieved mastery of your sword-style before you hit puberty, you who fears nothing but displeasure in your ojou-sama's eyes, _are afraid of confronting your girlfriend's father?_"

Setsuna's temper, which seemed so much closer to the surface these days than it ever had before, surged up, spilling through her until it roiled and seethed beneath her skin. Setsuna snapped open white eyes flooding with black anger, and spat out a snarl as wicked as a sawblade.

"What would you have of me, _vampire_? I came to you for aid, and receive insults. I came to you as an ally, and I am treated as an enemy! _If you wish me to split you open and spill your rotting insides upon your tiled floor, you have only to say the word!"_

Slamming back her chair with a scream of tortured wood, Setsuna rose, wings snapping out with a cyclonic gust that bowled the table over, shattering teacups on stone. Chachamaru blurred into action, crouching before her perplexed master, body tensed into a defensive position.

"_Emergency protocol online. Fatal threat perceived. Evasive action in order."_

Chachamaru, faster than possible by human limbs, snatched the stunned vampire into her arms, kicked off her jet boosters, and propelled herself into the air, streaking towards the castle that hovered in the distance.

Setsuna screamed in temper, hot frustration seething through her, demon raging in her blood, and shrieked into the sky as a feathered, enraged avatar of fury.

Evangeline, dainty feet dangling over Chachamaru's elbow, watched, enraptured, as the pale figure of Setsuna flew after her with speed that her inhuman eyes watered to follow.

_So fast-!_

"_Threat regaining ground. Turbo boosters engaged."_

An ear-burning blast of sound that burst Eva's eardrums; Chachamaru's synthetic hair streaming out as aerofins exploded from her back; silk and lace dress sloughing away like discarded skin as twelve boosters –dotted along the gynoid's spine and legs- roared into life; Evangeline staring into the blue flame streaking into the sky as the half-demon pursuing her faded into a distant smear on the far horizon.

Miles below them, an illusory sea –modelled off the Mediterranean Ocean, if she recalled correctly- glittered with grains of silver.

"_Threat evaded. Turbo boosters disengaged."_

The blonde vamp ignored the hot blood dripping down her neck, and the faint sting of her torn auditory organs repairing themselves. Distantly, she registered a half-dozen cracked ribs from Chachamaru's rough handling (though strictly speaking, she had herself to blame as she had designed the defensive program), but they were unimportant as her gynoid screeched to a stop mid-air, jostling Eva in her partner's steel embrace.

"_Threat removed. Emergency protocol offline. _Master, are you hurt?"

"Only a little," said Eva with a dismissory wave. "Where is Setsuna? Is she still following?"

"My optics register a faint blur some four hundred kilometres away. Probability indicates this is Sakurazaki-san. Figure is moving; speed... incalculable. My sensors indicate some form of teleportation or space/time warp-folding is taking place."

The smear against the sky, darker now, and growing imperceptibly larger with every millisecond, seemed to blur, winking in and out of sight.

"Ah," said Evangeline, feeling for the first time in almost four hundred years, some small measure of caution. Perhaps goading a newly unsealed half-demon with a disposition for monster-slaying had not been the most intelligent decision.

"Should I take further evasive action, Master?"

"Hold. Let me down; I can handle her." _Probably._

Obligingly, Chachamaru disengaged her grip; Evangeline tumbled some dozen or so metres to her left, balance a little off from her damaged ears, and righted herself in a flurry of black lace.

"Warn me the next time you do that, will you?" she asked dryly.

"Yes, Master."

The distant figure, previously the size of a speck of dust, was now as big as a broken chopstick and growing larger every time she blinked.

"If she is overly aggressive, prepare temporal locative drive for escape."

"Yes, Master. _Preparing nuclear warpspace engines._"

A low hum rumbled through Evangeline's bones, and the faint tang of radioactivity seared the air. Evangeline wrinkled her nose delicately. Radioactive substances could not harm her, her body stripping damaged cells faster than needed to heal, let alone prevent injury, but they still burned her nose.

Setsuna could be seen now; still small, but her details grew perceivably clearer as every second passed. Her face was twisted into a grimace, whether from rage or exertion could not be discerned.

"Stand by, Chachamaru."

"_Systems on standby. Boosters engaged in neutral."_

The silence could have been considered eerie, if it weren't for the fact that the parties engaged in this stand-off were a half-demonic swordswoman and a vampire sorceress, complete with robotic minion, and nothing could really compare to _that_.

Sunlight flashed off Setsuna's talons, hands lax against her side as her wings pounded through the scattered clouds; the illusion of water vapour steamed into nothingness where her wings touched them. The girl was silent, conserving her breath for flight, and Eva relaxed a little (but not enough to indicate she had been concerned, certainly not).

"_No threat perceived. Warpspace engines powering down."_

"So, you're no longer out for my blood? Though, I must say I am impressed with that display. Not very many creatures can fold time about themselves so effortlessly, you know."

Setsuna, wings outstretched, glided forward, slowing with considerably more grace than Chachamaru had displayed. She beat her wings lazily, using feathered limbs as parachutes to slow her further, coming to a gentle stop some twenty metres from the vampire.

Around them, the air was still; Eva's words were loud and sharp in the silence. The ocean sparkled beneath their feet, a few hundred metres below.

"I think... it was hardly... effortless." Setsuna was not exactly panting, but a little out of breath all the same. She swiped the sweat from her forehead with clawed hands, and shook herself with a ruffle of feathers. Her wings beat twice, and she pulled a loop to regain some height, unable to hover like either the vampire mage or the robot, who rested on her back burners, tattered dress seared and scorched beyond recognition.

"Yes, well," said Evangeline dismissively, "That's not my point. Also, it seems I've been going about this the wrong way, as much as I am loathe to admit it."

Setsuna said nothing, waiting for the apology that never came.

"You're not a mage," continued the vamp, oblivious to the swordswoman's frostiness, "and you will, most likely, never be one; what magic there is in your blood seems to be a side effect of your demonic heritage, and quite possibly your association with the boy; I don't think it likely you will ever be able to achieve anything more than the manipulation of _chi_." Here the petite blonde began to pace an imagined path, stepping daintily in mid-air, ocean shimmering far below her delicate footsteps. In full-blown lecturer mode, she seemed oblivious to Setsuna's incredulous look as the swordswoman beat her wings steadily to keep aloft.

"So, in a similar vein, you must learn to regard your personal _glamourie_ as an extension of your _chi_ and manipulate it accordingly- and from what I have seen of your working of _chi_, I believe that you should achieve mastery in a mere year or so, though if you work at it, you should be able to create a passable glamour today. Which means you don't have to take up space in my resort for too long."

Pulling off her glasses, she rubbed the lenses with the edge of her petticoat, realised the left lens was missing, rolled her eyes and tossed the pair over her shoulder with a dainty shrug.

Setsuna watched the red-framed pair tumble end over end towards the ocean until they passed out of sight, unable to see the delicate splash they made upon hitting the shimmering, sparkling water.

"Whatever _glamourie_ you are likely to weave won't hold up to intense scrutiny; anyone with the _sight_ –that is, the ability to perceive magical creatures and or objects- will see through it immediately. If you wish to remain undetected, it is prudent to also be wary of the following: cats; rocks with naturally-formed holes in them; rowan, ash or oak trees; milk and blessed water or alcohol; sun showers, full, half and dark moons; four leaf clovers and consecrated ground, although in the case of the latter it mostly applies to malignant forces and the undead, neither of which apply to you..."

Evangeline, lost in thought, trailed off into silence. Setsuna, distinctly aware that not only had she performed a spectacular feat of speed to get here, but hovering continuously on the spot for over ten minutes whilst exhausted and wounded was not a clever thing to do.

Black spots danced in front of her eyes, and sudden chill washed through her, leaving her hollow and weak. The slash on her cheek burned, and her wings shuddered as she slipped downwards twenty metres before regaining her purchase on the air. Ignorant of Setsuna's sudden dizziness, Evangeline continued.

"I would also be careful around the shinmeiryuu and their associates; the seal you broke also shattered the human-appearance illusion that had been with you since shortly after birth. It was a strong spell, that- its remnants still linger in your blood, and it would have kept almost everyone from seeing your true appearance."

The swordswoman's eyes closed; lack of sleep, on top of everything else was getting to her. Swaying in mid-air, she slid her hand across her bare stomach –school shirt long ago torn and discarded in the chase, leaving her in breast bindings and a skirt, shoes lost somewhere in the ocean below- to touch the aching tug behind her navel. A small pain, in contrast to the burn of tired muscles and sliced cheek, but somehow powerful enough to send a shiver through her, leaving a faint throbbing in its wake. Her eyes fluttered open again, barely conscious of the fact she'd slipped down once more. Beating her wings against the air felt like pounding stone with her fists, but she somehow dragged herself upwards.

Eva was still talking; her childish voice was thoughtful, and its soft cadences lulled the swordswoman back towards drowsiness. Her eyes drifted closed again, and she knew her grip of consciousness was slipping, but could not seem to stay awake...

"Without it, you may find those you once thought of as friends now regard you as an enemy whose true nature has finally been revealed. You might find yourself at odds with the organisation that trained you. Not an enviable position, that..."

Evangeline stopped, suddenly aware from the sound of rustling feathers in the otherwise still air that'd she'd lost her audience; Setsuna plummeted downwards, eyes closed, wings splayed and feathers filling the air like scraps of silk. Evangeline whispered a curse in Gaelic, and performed a perfect swan-dive, graceful in freefall as she speared towards the surface of the ocean.

Behind her, past the rush of air in her ears, she could hear the hum of Chachamaru's engines. Before her, only the susurration of feathers as the half-demon tumbled towards her doom.

Not for the first time did the vampire wish she was less thorough in her crafting of illusions; although an ocean glimmered below them, apparently bottomless, in reality it was a scant metre or two deep, and solid bedrock under that. It was a moot point anyway- hitting the water at this height, regardless of how deep it was, would be like hitting concrete at over 400 kilometres an hour. No matter how fast half-demons healed, Setsuna wouldn't survive that.

_Not to mention that if I let her die, I'll have to deal with the unrestrained fury of the most powerful magical vessel the world has ever seen. I've no wish to anger a descendant of the sun goddess, not if I want to live to see the dawn._

Gaining speed, she angled her slender body like an arrow, and felt the whip-like sting as her clothes lashed about her body. Hands over her head, fingers reaching, she strained to grab a handful of feathers, the limp body of Setsuna with arms outstretched falling like an angel from grace.

_There's a thought. I haven't waxed poetic in decades._

Spread wings slowing the swordswoman just enough, Evangeline managed to snag a limp arm, and kicking off apparently empty air, the vampire shot upwards with a jerk, magic power boiling off her skin to streamline her ascent, dragging a lifeless half-demon behind her.

"You couldn't give me a hand, could you?" she snapped at a hovering Chachamaru.

"My apologies, master. I have entered power-conservation mode as _WARNING: batteries at critical level_ I used a lot of power to elude Sakurazaki-san previously. Unless I divert power from non-essential functions, I fear I will slip into shutdown mod_Speech program offline. Disengaging AI. Shutdown mode engaged._"

Stunned into disbelief, the vampire nevertheless managed to lunge forward in time to catch her suddenly falling gynoid, as her visual monitors flickered into darkness and her jet boosters sputtered and died.

"Not you too!" moaned Evangeline.

"_All functions terminating. Shutt-tt-ttinggg d-d-d-ddowwwwnnn-nnn-nnnn..."_ said Chachamaru, failing batteries dragging out her synthetic voice into a death rattle.

Alone, in the middle of the (apparently) Mediterranean Ocean, and as far away from her castle as it was possible to get, the Magus Nosferatu Evangeline hissed in anger, cradling the limp figure of Setsuna in one small arm and the significantly heavier Chachamaru in the other, and screamed a series of unintelligible curses to the heavens.

* * *

Asuna hesitated before knocking on the door. Although it was identical in shape and function to any other door -in fact, it was identical in shape and function to _every_ other door on this floor- she couldn't help but feel trepidation.

Which was odd.

It wasn't like she was entering the lair of some evil monster, who deigned to prey upon young virgins-

_Quit it. You and your damn imagination. Just knock on the door, and when Konoka eventually sticks her head out of it, let her have it for making you get worried sick-_

She knocked.

Asuna listened to the noises about her for a moment. Down the hall, she could hear the hubbub of the cheerleader's early morning practice; Ayaka was letting fly at Makie for something, and the twins were watching the early-morning cartoons they loved so much a few rooms down. But nothing from this one, not even the dull murmur of conversation...

She knocked again, and felt the door shudder.

_Huh? It's open...?_

Sighing, Asuna pushed the door open and stepped inside, eyes covered with one hand. She could remember all too clearly what happened the day before walking into a room unannounced. Though common sense dictated one shouldn't need to knock upon entering _their_ _own room_.

"Look, guys, I'm coming in. Uh, can we make sure we've got some clothes on please?"

No noise, no frantic rustling of clothes as her best friends attempted to cover their nakedness.

_Okay, maybe they aren't going at it like rabbits. You can probably open your eyes._

Slowly, Asuna opened one eye, and then the other, prepared to squeeze them both shut at any sight of heaving breasts or creamy thighs- but her gaze met nothing so saucy.

Just an empty room.

"Hey? Hello?"

A little embarrassed that her caution had been for nothing, Asuna strode confidently into the small door alcove, scanning the room for any side of her brunette friend, but only finding an unmade bed with rumpled sheets and a few scattered items of clothing-

_Wait a minute._

Her gaze settled upon the single bed in the corner of the room- pushed up against the wall beneath the only window, scattered beams of sunlight warm on twisted sheets. An extra blanket lay at the foot of the bed, cast off during the night. A rumpled pair of pyjamas half-hung from a cupboard, clothes spilling from its open drawers. A pair of pillows were bunched up at the head of the bed, overlapping as they lay- this was a sleeping space designed for one that had been made to accommodate for two.

_Okay, so that's not so bad. Those two must've stayed out late last night and rather than wake Negi and me, Konoka decided to stay here overnight. That's not, uh, suspicious... I think. But, what's with the clothes all over the floor...?_

A pair of pink high heels laid discarded against the couch, next to a pair of patent leather shoes with jagged holes in the leather uppers. Cast over the arm of the lounge was a cherry-pink shawl, which, even from this distance, Asuna could see was rumpled and torn. Stepping closer, the young woman reached out hesitantly to brush her fingers over dark stains in the silky cloth- the shawl was unwearable now, having been used as a bandage of some kind...

"A bandage?" whispered Asuna, loud in the empty apartment, casting a fresh gaze over the room. Now she was looking for them, signs at odds with the innocence of simple untidiness appeared. A few dark droplets stained the carpet at her feet, and a bloody handprint had been hastily wiped off the coffee table. Walking forward, she noticed that the rug on the living room floor was damp, as though recently washed and not yet dry. Near here, a woman's dress shirt lay rumpled by the wall, as though hastily tossed there. Dark stains dotted the once-white top, now a muddy red, as though blood drenched and then wrung out, and Asuna felt a shiver trickle down her spine. From what she'd seen so far, someone had come home hurt last night, badly hurt- the drops of blood and the hand print seemed to suggest someone had been carried home, bleeding heavily, and laid upon the rug, where someone else had tried to patch them up...

_That's Setsuna's shirt. It's too small and too plain to be Konoka's, so she was hurt last night, and Konoka carried her home. She must have tried to heal her, but that still begs the question as to how Setsuna got hurt in the first place. I mean, unless they got ambushed on the way home, I think Setsuna's strong enough to handle just about anything else._

_I mean, gods, she's a trained shinmeiryuu swordswoman, unstoppable in battle. It'd take a whole damn _army_ to put a scratch on her, let alone cut her up this bad._

Asuna sighed, and wandered over to the bathroom, pushing the half-open door wide, and exposing a half-cleaned mess. Dirty towels hung crookedly from the shower rail, and a few smears of dried blood hadn't been mopped up from the floor. Turning back to the unmade bed, sheets tangled in a manner suggestive of something other than sleep, and a pair of panties dangling suspiciously from the bed post, she shook her head.

_This makes no sense. Okay, so they get ambushed by what, a freaking army on their way home? And they fight them off- else they probably wouldn't have made it home in the first place. So Konoka's dragging a badly hurt Setsuna –who'd let nothing short of being hit by a truck –scratch that, a _Sherman Tank_- stop her from coming home by her own power- and lays her down on the rug, completely disregarding how on earth they managed to get in the building in the first place and not be seen by anyone, and tries to heal her. And then they both go have a shower. Wash all the blood off and all that. And then... have... post-shower nookie? What in the hell! That story makes no sense._

Frowning, the redhead scanned the room, but was unable to come up with a scenario that fit the facts better than her first guess. Rubbing her temples, and shooting a final, peeved glance at the messed up bed, Asuna stormed out, slamming the door shut behind her.

"And that STILL doesn't tell me where the hell she is! _Konoka, you'd better have a bloody good excuse when you get home!"_

* * *

_Wet. Something wet, dripping down my cheek._

_Blood? No, too cool._

_Water?_

"Good evening Sakurazaki-san. My master has asked me to remind you that you are not, in fact, at home and therefore she would be grateful if you saw fit to deem her with your presence as soon as you are capable."

Setsuna, barely awake, sat up and brushed a wet cloth from her forehead. Chachamaru, re-dressed in a 1950's era maid outfit, nodded politely and turned to open the curtains. Dying sunlight filtered through gauzy fabric, casting a peachy glow across the stone floors.

"Eva said that?"

"Um... in not so many words, no. To directly quote..." with this, the gynoid tilted her head slightly to the left. A soft _click_, followed by a gentle _whirr_ and when next Chachamaru opened her mouth, it was Evangeline's childish voice that rang out_._

"_Get your lazy ass out of my guest beds, half-breed, and get over to the training arena in the arctic world before I come in there and- click."_

The gynoid seemed slightly abashed. "I thought it prudent to terminate the recording then, before my profanity filter engaged."

Still groggy, the swordswoman looked around at her opulent surroundings in a daze.

"How did I...?"

Chachamaru, understanding her confusion, smiled gently.

"After your... disagreement... with my master, you exhausted yourself in flight and collapsed mid-air. My master brought you back to the main castle to recover in order to continue your training. Nine hours of internal time have passed, Sakurazaki-san; although according to academy time, it is still early morning. I have prepared another school uniform for you, though I do suggest your remain in your current attire until you have survived, er, _completed_ your training with my master."

Nodding, Setsuna stood, wincing as she stretched out the kinks in her wings. Without a glamour that gave her the illusion of a smooth back, lying down was really quite uncomfortable.

Rolling her shoulders from side to side, she flared her wings, feeling the ache as sore muscles stretched and pulled. The gynoid, true to her base programming as a maid, brushed past her smoothly to straighten the bed, peeling silken sheets from a plush velvet mattress. The sheets, raw silk, were priceless- and stained with her blood. Brushing a hand against her cheek, the swordswoman felt smooth and unbroken skin where once a slash had exposed raw and bloody flesh.

_Must have healed in my sleep._

It seemed there were some benefits to being a half-demon, after all...

Chachamaru, now seemingly engrossed in plumping bolsters and pillows, nodded in the direction of the open windows, where a gust of cool air, sharp with the faintest hint of arctic snow, melted into the room. A shiver ruffled Setsuna's feathers, a bead of sweat chilling down her spine like an icy fingertip.

"If you follow the breeze, Sakurazaki-san, you should find the portal quite easily. I would warn you that my master intends an ambush; you would do well to be prepared."

"Thankyou." Stepping out onto the windowsill –wide enough to seat four people comfortably- Setsuna sighed, breath steaming into evening air grown suddenly chill. Unnatural darkness roiled against the sky, storm clouds boiling around a distant beacon, illuminated by teleportation magic.

_The longer I keep her waiting, the angrier she gets, and the longer I am away from Kono-chan._

Low in her belly, something twisted at that thought- a tugging, pulling ache deep within that was quickly echoed by her heart, her lungs, every inch of her. Each breath dragged in bore the ghost of agony, every blink of her eyes threatened to send her spiralling into the inky blackness that crowded her. A thunderclap boomed across the horizon, sending jagged sparks of lightning screaming to this illusionary earth before her. The pain inside, whose cause she was not certain of, throbbed in counterpoint to her heartbeat.

Distant rain, turning to icy sleet as it plummeted from the sky, smashing onto the chipped stone parapets of the castle, was a clear indicator of Evangeline's disappearing patience. Better to leave now and finish the task that had sent her here in the first place rather than to give into foreboding and try her host's nerves further.

Sparing a glance for Chachamaru, who hurried forth to shutter windows against the coming storm, Setsuna threw herself into the air in a flurry of feathers, ignoring the bite of the twilight cool, and soared over wet-slicked cliff tops. The pulse of the teleportation gate was her marker in the growing dark, clouds spilling like ink through the sky. Although the rain hammered down upon her, her feathers did not clump and cluster damply; she could feel the weather, though it did not affect her. Another illusion to match the looming castle behind her.

Evangeline was, among many other things, a master mage; to craft such a detailed, realistic world-within-a-bottle was a testament to her massive power if nothing else.

Tucking her wings in to streamline, Setsuna caught the edge of a rising gust and shot towards the glowing portal, plummeting headfirst into the magic haze-

-and falling into a snowdrift, illusory raindrops cast off her skin as thousands of tiny icicles. Sputtering out a mouthful of snow, she sat up and choked in a breath. The air whistling down her throat slashed into her lungs as ribbons of ice; the half-demon coughed violently, clambering to her feet to shake the snow from her feathers.

"_You're going to die if you stay here too long. Unlike the boy, you've no magic to burn for heat. Unless you can cloak yourself in chi quickly, you'll be an icicle in minutes."_

Evangeline's voice poured out of the snow-flecked darkness like honey; thick, cloying and sickly sweet. Setsuna shuddered and wrapped her arms about her chest, pulling her wings tight. Fluffing her feathers up would trap a little heat, enough to keep her warm for a little while, but the thrashing snow and wind would snatch away her body heat before long. And, in contrast to Asuna, who had survived a week here, she had no _kankahou_ to aid her.

"_North of you, some two hundred metres ahead, is a sparring ring surmounted by four stone pillars. If you wish to learn how to cloak yourself in a human guise, I suggest you make you way there before you freeze to death. Or not. The choice is yours, after all..."_

Evangeline's words floated in the dark, distorted a little by the roaring wind. Setsuna cursed. At the moment, beset by the elements and shrouded in artificial, storm-borne night, she had no chance of finding her bearings. Human eyes couldn't even _see_ in the dark_-_

_Oh. _

Shuddering a little, the swordswoman closed her eyes, and reached _inward_. Beneath her conscious mind, she felt the demon stir, sending ripples through her soul. Long suppressed, recently awakened, her deepest nature felt alien to her searching mind, and instinct screamed for her to recoil, to push it away- but she did not.

_If I am to survive here, if I am to go home to my Kono-chan, then the demon and I must make an accord._

Power, the merest sliver of the power sleeping within her, shivered loose and brushed against the core of her, setting the consciousness that was _Setsuna_ alight with possibility.

Her seal was gone, that was true, but the slumbering demon inside had not fully awoken. Not yet. Perhaps she never would. But this small fragment of _youki_ was enough to see her through this chill darkness...

_Hah. Wah!_

Expelling a breath to burst from her lips as a cloud of steam, Setsuna felt the rivers of energy within her flex and churn, changing subtly as more power flowed upwards. Shivering with new energy, the swordswoman hesitated. Perhaps what she had done had not been what she was aiming for. What if she had damaged herself by trying to harness the demon within, and yet not become it? What if she-

_No. I am not afraid._

Hands clenched in front of her, cold burning across her skin as chilled acid, Setsuna pushed back doubt and opened eyes blurred with tears as pain streaked across her vision. Before her, nothing. But as her blood seethed with this new fragment of her birthright, she blinked furiously to clear the tears as light seeped into the landscape before her. Pupils wide, drinking in the dark, the half-demon laughed to find the pitch-black landscape illuminated for her. Each snowflake spun in fluorescent glory, the sky streaming with luminescence. Finding her feet in the icy, glowing flurry, the swordswoman dashed forward, heading for the stone pillars that glowed with incandescent traceries, casting shadows upon the snow-swept platform where Evangeline stood.

It was only when her gaze fell upon the vampire did Setsuna realise the significance of the changes in her sight. She did not, in fact, have night-vision; instead of drawing in luminescence and the reflections thereof to guide her preternatural sight, what her demon-eyes saw with was, in fact, _magic_.

Raw magical essence spills from all living things, from all natural substances and from all enchantments and spellcraft in varying degrees. Thus, the world around her –an immensely complicated illusion crafted by a master mage who happened to be a vampire, an inherently magical once-human creature- spun in such brilliant colour before her eyes because it was not only saturated in magic, it _was_ magic.

And the space where Evangeline stood, the crafter of such an awesomely powerful web of spells, was as incandescent as the midday sun. Evangeline _burned_ in her sight like a star, a nexus of raw magical illumination; as the swordswoman stumbled towards her, bare feet finally meeting cold stone, her eyes streamed with tears and red shadows as the power that boiled around the magus nosferatu was laid bare to her. Looking away to avoid being blinded, Setsuna's gaze raked down her own body-

-and stopped, and stared at the thinnest, faintest strand of silken thread, winking in and out of existence, tied to her smallest finger in a scarlet strand that trailed off into the distance, fading into the impenetrable black.

_What on earth-?_

"Hmph. I see you managed to dredge up another aspect of your heritage, half-breed. I assume you can see the magic in the air, yes? Well done. Though it would be best to switch back to mundane sight before I light this lamp..."

_Click. Whoomph._

Closing her eyes before the flame scorched her retinas white, Setsuna flinched at the red glow pressing against her eyelids.

"I... I don't know how." She said quietly, nodding in the direction of the brightest glow, feeling tears seep through her eyelashes and freeze to her cheeks, chilling the skin there until it ached. Numbness crept up her legs, snaked into her belly and made her teeth chatter.

Eva tutted, the sound low and menacing, as chilly as the roaring wind. "Not particularly wise to mess with your supernatural physiology so soon after being unsealed."

Sweat, hot against her spine, trickled down, chilling as it slid over her vertebrae, leaving a trail of almost frost. The shadows sketched onto the red warm inside of her eyelids moved, flowed as the bright spot that was the vampire circled her, ghostly feet silent on the stone.

"I should leave you like this. It would be a lesson not to meddle, child. Though I don't blame you for your curiosity. After all, it is very hard not to pry and poke at one's inner nature when one realises, completely and utterly, that they _are not human_..."

Pain, following the numbness, clawing into her flesh; the searing, scorching light pressing tight against her closed eyes; and the soft tickle of a sigh brushing against her cheek. Evangeline stood before her, peering upwards, and one cool hand pressed against her forehead in an odd gesture of benediction.

"Child I called you. And you are one. But, that is no reason to be unnecessarily cruel. I suppose."

_Darkness_.

Her open eyes met the thin, pixie-ish face of the figure before her, alight with nothing more sinister than the faint glow of a half-buried lantern, banked by a drift of flaky, powdery snow. Amber light spilt into the dark landscape, melting into the shadows pressing in on the small, stone platform. Eva's blonde hair seemed scarcely more substantial than the snowflakes caught on scattered beams of light, and whipped about her face in silken, tangled skeins.

Evangeline's eyes, green and jaded like a temple cats, like jewels in a porcelain face, smouldered with impossible, uncertain intent.

The half-demon, bolder than perhaps she should be, stared right back.

The vampire smiled, though there was nothing pleasant in it, and a shuttered veil of boredom shivered across her penetrating gaze. Turning away, she paced a half-dozen metres before turning back to the slender figure of Setsuna. Her expression was a little too impassive.

"You've only an hour's worth of oil in that lantern, you know. And the dark is no inconvenience to _me_, so what care I if the light goes out?"

Setsuna brushed the frozen teardrops from her cheeks roughly, and shuddered, feathers rustling against the too-cold skin of her back. A harsh breath followed, her frozen limbs settling into a stance learned by rote some ten years ago. _Chi_, summoned by the motions of her hands and the ritual exhalation of energy, simmered beneath her skin, an almost-painful blaze in her belly. She couldn't hold this heat forever, but certainly long enough to keep her alive and defrosted for the better part of an hour. Already melting snow was sliding off her feathers.

"I won't fail again." She said evenly, voice ringing with confidence over the bleak landscape. In the inky distance, the light of the single lantern seemed small and insignificant against the wailing, thrashing blizzard, but its light was comforting none the less.

Evangeline grinned, red lips splitting open to expose shiny teeth, glistening with the honeyed light of the small oil burner.

"We'll see. Now. The first thing you need is to conjure an image of yourself in your mind..."

* * *

It had been surprisingly easy to sneak back into the dormitory, although Konoka had experienced a moment of anxiety as a semi-conscious Makie stumbled down the main steps, bumped up against the pot-plant she was hiding behind, and staggered down the hall to the bath, mumbling as she went. Although Chachamaru had provided her with an appropriately-sized school uniform, her feet were ensconced in a borrowed pair of fuzzy slippers adorned with kittens, a design so obnoxiously cute it was obvious they didn't belong to her- something which could lead to questions about why exactly she was trying to get back into the building this early in the morning.

The young mage nevertheless found herself creeping up the hall that led to her room with relief, and a sneaking sense of guilt that refused to be squashed. Fighting down the terrible inclination to burst into her own bedroom, begging forgiveness for her sins –of which she was sure the others would be certain to see written upon her forehead in glowing letters- regardless of whether said sins were deserving of punishment or not.

_Really, _she tried to rationalise with herself, _it's not as though what you've done is a _crime_. Staying out late at night is a little unwise, involving yourself in an epic battle between the forces of demon-kind and your bodyguard/girlfriend slightly foolish perhaps, especially on the night before the start of the school-week, but hardly _criminal_. And no one can say anything about you staying the night at said girlfriend's house if no one notices..._

Though the sinking feeling as she hesitantly turned the doorknob and felt it tremble in her shaking hands suggested bad things waited for her in the darkened room stretching out from the doorway.

Tiptoeing across carpet for the second time that morning (though thankfully fully-clothed this time), she slid the door closed as silently as possible, trying to avoid stumbling over the numerous objects in her path, heading for the dark kitchen with stealth Kaede would be proud of.

_Click._

"And where, _exactly_, were you when we woke up this morning, Konoka?"

Asuna's voice, deceptively pleasant, hummed with the _special_ kind of temper she reserved for beating the ever-loving crap from Chamo (and, sometimes, Negi) after he'd been caught doing something particularly displeasing.

The bright fluorescent light cast shadows across her seated figure, lending an eerie quality to mis-matched eyes, simmering with anger. Behind her, Negi stood at the lightswitch, arms crossed angrily over his chest, Chamo seated disapprovingly on his shoulder. Slippers in hand, Konoka felt her shoulders slump in despair.

"Oh, crap."

"You said it, young lady." Snapped Asuna, waving her left hand which clutched a cigarette, sending thin spirals of smoke to curl into the air. Bringing the thin cylinder to her lips, she drew in an angry puff, and hacked violently, smoke streaming from her nostrils.

Konoka gaped in astonishment at the redhead, who sputtered, her face the same shade as her hair.

"Since when do you smoke, Asuna?" she asked incredulously.

The schoolgirl, still spluttering, stabbed the smoke into an ashtray, twisting it violently. A worried Negi steeped up and thumped her on the back, Asuna waving a dismissive hand in his direction.

"I don't," she wheezed, brushing away the boy-teacher's concern, "_It's for effect_. And since when do you stay out all night and not let anybody know where you are, _hmm_?" she snapped, turning the tables on a stunned brunette.

Gaping, Konoka turned to a flustered Negi for support, and found only judgement in his eyes.

"We were very worried about you, Konoka-san. It really isn't like you to stay out so late, and when we woke this morning to find you not at home and not answering your mobile, we grew even more concerned." The boy-teacher frowned, straightening himself up with a shake of his head, smoothing his hands across the front of his suit. "Really, Konoka-san, would it have been so hard to send a message indicating you intended to stay the night with Setsuna-san, and save everyone here the worry?"

Uncomfortable with the naked disappointment in his voice, Konoka flinched and mumbled an apology, wishing the ground would swallow her up like countless other teens around the world when confronted by a figure of authority. Though being lectured by someone five years her junior and barely pubescent was vaguely disturbing.

"Yeah, and what was with the scene I found in Setsuna's room, hmm? _Blood_ all over the place, torn clothes and the bed all messed up? What the _hell_ happened to you two last night?"

Asuna, recovered from her bout of coughing, stood up and glared at the downcast brunette, voice cracking like a whip across Konoka's frayed nerves. Shifting from foot to foot, the young woman shifted her gaze across three accusing faces, and finding no support there, glanced over at a shuttered window. Thin fingers of sunlight brushed against the laminated bench, and a glass of water, still cold, glistened with condensation.

Trepidation ran cool fingers down her spine, making her shiver and wrap her arms about herself. Mind racing, she chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.

_Set-chan, what am I supposed to tell them? Do I just come straight out with it and say what happened last night?_

Sighing, Konoka turned away from her accusers in the kitchen, and let her arms drop.

_I'm no good at lying. I guess... I guess honesty is the best policy here. But... but where do I start?_

She could feel their eyes on her, and flinched when Asuna huffed, clearly impatient to hear her justification for her absence.

"It's... it's a long story," she whispered, refusing to look behind her, eyes firmly fixed in the distance. "You guys might want to sit down for this..."

* * *

"...after the ambush, Set-chan was pretty messed up. I... I don't think I've ever seen someone that badly hurt, and I've helped patch you up countless times, Negi, so I've seen my fair share of trauma." Taking a sip of her water, Konoka leant back in her chair, head bowed. In front of her, Asuna stared at the kitchen wall, face chalky, no doubt imagining the wounds the brown-haired mage rattled off as a bizarre shopping list of pain.

"Broken wing, lacerations, multiple fractures in her spine and skull, internal bleeding and a severe concussion. She passed out soon after the... the battle. I carried her back here, but by then, she was hardly breathing. I think one of her lungs was punctured."

Her voice was surprisingly steady as she recounted the harrowing walk through the dorm, using her shawl to stem the fresh bleeding that oozed forth with every step they took, Setsuna's head lolling slackly on bruised and bloodied shoulders, twisted and broken wings scraping the tiled floor. Negi, grimacing, pushed back his chair, walked over to the fridge, hands trembling as he laid his forehead against the cool surface. His eyes were scrunched tight, lips bloodless.

Chamo, eyes darkly serious, gaped in amazement as she told of trying to heal her Set-chan, and Konoka dimly registered tears sliding down her cheeks as she whispered of the terror that she was _too late, too late, too late to stop the woman she loved more than all the world dying in front of her eyes..._

"After that... after that," her voice cracking, Konoka swallowed and took another a sip of water, and brushed the wetness from her eyes. "We took a shower. I think I was going into shock. There was, was, so much _blood_, all over the place, all over us_. _Set-chan was really worried, and she... she had to stay with me because I was scared. I didn't want her to leave my sight because... I thought that if she left, she'd..."

"Disappear?" said Asuna softly, looking back at her best friend, eyes soft with pity that made the young mage crumple with sadness.

"_Yeah."_

Chamo rubbed his face with one small paw, and paced back and forth across the table top. His little face was furrowed, eyes determined. "This makes no sense. Why would the barriers go down the night all the patrollers were given the night off? I mean, surely, no one could have known you would be attacked..." trailing off, the small fae nodded briskly at the young woman seated before him. "Sorry, ane-san. Go on."

Hesitant, Konoka shifted her gaze unhappily. What had happened the night before was so private, so... _special_ and _new_ she wasn't sure she wanted to share it with anyone. Not just yet. It wasn't as though she was _ashamed_ of what had happened, oh no! She just... wanted to keep it to herself for a little while longer.

"We, uh, went to bed. I... I didn't want to be, um, _alone_, so Set-chan... _Set-chan s-slept with me last night_." This said in a shivery, tremble-ly voice that made Asuna's eyes narrow and face turn white, then flush red as all the pieces clicked together. Chamo jerked his head up at her words, ears pricked back, whiskers twitching.

Negi, oblivious to the sudden undercurrent of tension, smiled gently in her direction.

"What happened when you woke, Konoka-san?"

"When I got up, Mana was there. She... she said some stuff about Set-chan needing to go on patrol when she woke up, and gave me back my handbag -I lost it in the forest last night. I guess it's still on the kitchen table, which is why I didn't answer when we were at Eva's..."

Asuna, face still carefully blank, jumped on the opportunity to steer the conversation away from what had been meant by 'slept', and hastily blurted out "so, uh, why were you at Eva's?"

Konoka smiled gratefully, if a little wetly, at the redhead, relieved at the change in direction. "You have to understand that ever since last night, Set-chan doesn't... doesn't look human anymore. Something about her demon being unsealed, but she didn't... didn't know how to, um, _turn human again_." Shaking her head, the young mage trailed her fingers through the puddle of condensation on the table. The tension in the room shimmered thickly, choking her up and making her words stick in her throat.

"Eva... she helped her last time, when Set-chan broke her seal, so we thought that maybe she could help again. Anyway, that's where she is now- in Eva's resort."

Negi sighed and crossed the room again, slumping into his seat. Pinching his nose, he shook his head, and glanced up at her sadly.

"It seems like you've been through a lot these past couple of days, Konoka-san. As your teacher... and, as your friend, I can't help but feel partially responsible. If you girls are in trouble, and I don't know about it... it makes me feel _useless_ when I find out."

Asuna thumped her hand against the table. "This sucks! Something was _totally_ up with the barriers going down last night. I bet you anything your granddad had something to do with this. Sneaky old bastard," muttered the hot-tempered schoolgirl.

"Now, Asuna," began Negi, hands raised to forestall an argument, "let's be reasonable. We can't be sure this was anyone's fault. Before we form a lynch mob, I suggest we find out a few facts first. It could just be a horrible coincidence-"

"Coincidence my _ass_, Negi!" snapped Asuna, jerking upwards. Frustrated and feeling more than a little guilty, the young woman stalked over into the kitchen. Chamo, still pondering the exact implication of Konoka's words, and the fact both her and the young swordswoman's pactio cards were missing, glanced at the young mage, slumped in her seat forlornly. Questions, of a sort perhaps not appropriate considering what the brunette had just recently gone through, buzzed through his mind.

_If Konoka-ne-chan meant what I think she meant by that carefully-worded sentence, then... then I've got a pretty good idea as to why their cards went missing..._

Glancing over at the clock, a thought struck him.

"Hey, Negster... didn't you have a meeting with the headmaster?"

Negi, startled, stared at the clock, eyebrows vanishing into his hair.

"Oh, I don't believe this!" jumping out of his seat, the teenaged teacher dashed for his briefcase, muttering words of a distinctly un-gentleman-ly nature. "I'm going to be late! Girls, class starts soon, and I'd get a move on if I were you!" skidding around the corner, suit jacket dangling loosely from one flailing arm. Jerking the door open, he sent an apologetic smile at Konoka before darting down the hall and out of sight.

"We'd better get to class too," murmured the red-haired girl, stretching with a yawn. Konoka nodded, sighed, and stood up, unable to stop herself from turning to the window. Although all she could see were trees, she knew that somewhere beyond her line of sight, her Set-chan was trying her very best to appear human again.

_I don't care what you look like, Set-chan, just as long as you come home to me in one piece..._

Asuna, sensing her best friend's dismay, smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, buck-up, Konoka. I'm sure shorty will be fine. Look, we'll go to class, get ourselves seated and she'll dash in the door, bowing and scraping and with a sorry smile for being late... you've got nothing to worry about. Even Chamo agrees with me."

"Hm? Uh, yeah, whatever you say ane-san." The ermine smiled vaguely, still concerned with the consequences of the young couple's actions. Something told him it was best if he kept his thoughts to himself for now- those girls had enough troubles on their shoulders for the moment.

"I guess..." the brunette trailed off wistfully, before giving herself a slight shake.

_Pull it together, Konoka! It's not the end of the world, and it's about time you stopped making other people worry about you! Get a grip, get to class, and take the day as it comes, alright?_

Squaring her shoulders, the young mage nodded firmly. "Yeah, you're right, Asuna! Let's get going, and I'm sure Set-chan will meet us there!"

"That's the spirit! Come on, let's go. You know if we're late for English again, Negi'll roast us."

* * *

The lantern, barely a glowing shape slumped in snow, was dying; the small flame guttered like the heartbeat of a beast on the verge of death, and Setsuna supposed, if anyone could see her life force, its flame would be wavering and flickering in much the same manner. Blood painted her cheek, dripping in icy, scarlet droplets onto the snow pillowing her where she lay, scattering as black spatters in the violet shadows of the fading light.

Evangeline, utterly merciless and more than willing to prove it, kicked her in the ribs. The sharp stab of pain was merely another echo to the chorus of small cuts, scrapes and fractures that shuddered through her body.

"Hmm. You are flickering a little, though that could be the poor quality of light... provided no one attempts to drench you with milk, your glamour should hold. Probably."

The half-demon, beaten bloody and concentrating on not choking on her own blood, tried to sit up. A dainty, delicate foot –tiny toes adorned with scarlet nail polish, glinting like specks of blood in yellow, sputtering light- pressed down on her spine, pushing the young swordswoman further into the icy ground. Beneath the swirling snow, frozen slabs of rock grated against her cheek, chilling her to the bone in shivering, scorching waves.

"Impressive- I can barely feel your feathers." Scrunching her toes into the illusory smooth skin of Setsuna's back, Eva frowned. "Seems you did better than I thought you would." The howling wind snatched her words away as soon as they passed her lips, leaving a ghost of an echo to raise goosebumps down the swordswoman's bruised spine. Choking in a breath between gust-blown snowflakes, Setsuna scrunched numb fingers into the chilled ground, trying to gain enough leverage to raise her up from her prone position. Ignoring her valiant efforts, Evangeline stepped back, scooping up the lantern where it lay. Resting in her thin-boned hands, the tiny, wavering flame finally flickered out, plunging barren snowscape into darkness between one breath and the next.

Setsuna, mustering her strength, rolled onto her back, and lay there shaking. Shivers rolled across her body, wrenching agony from sorely tested muscles –maintaining a constant body temperature of thirty-seven degrees in sub-zero temperatures whilst channelling _chi_ into an illusion of normalcy had drained her to the dregs.

_What use is this facade if I never make it back home?_

The dark void above swirled with pale shadows of snow and scattered stars. Blackness bore down on her pale figure, snow-damp hair inky against the frozen swells of wind-blown snow and ice.

"If you're going to lie there and die, there's no point in me having wasted my time to teach you."

"Your teaching has left me weak," gasped Setsuna, voice a rasp on a parched throat. Writhing in the snow, her blood-flecked lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Tell Kono-chan I love her."

Eva snorted. "I'll do no such thing. You won't die here. Your corpse would be inconvenient."

Lolling her head in the vampire's direction, Setsuna peered blankly into the dark. A slender figure, probably Evangeline, loomed over her, cradling a shadowy shape that could be the dead lantern.

"You survived my best attempts to kill you, and maintained a passable human glamour at the same time. You won't die here- no, you'll get up and go to class soon enough. After changing your attire, of course. Snow-caked and nearly naked is _not_ appropriate for the class room."

Stalking over to the young woman, Eva bent down, lace dress fluttering in the roaring gale. A thin, icy fingertip pressed against her forehead. "Hard-working dog that you are, I suppose I could throw you a bone..."

_Heat_ seethed under the press of that fingertip; like a stone thrown in a pond, ripples of heat scorched through her body, causing the slender woman to arch and thrash in frothing, melting snow. Hot magic sealed her wounds shut in a flood of burning magic, dragging a scream from bloodless lips. Howling, Setsuna bolted upright, skin scratching with tongues of magical fire, melting the ice around her but leaving no mark on snowy skin.

The cold press of Evangeline's fingertip against her forehead lifted; the flames guttered and died. The vampire sucked in a breath and blew on the cold wick of the lantern; it flared into life, casting a shimmering golden glow over the pooling water beneath them, already freezing over in the chill.

"What I gave you won't last, nor will the lantern. You'd best make it to the gate before my gift fails you..."

Snatching the lantern from Eva's cold, dead hands, Setsuna sketched a hasty bow and raced for the portal, still glowing in the distance. She would not question the vampire's generosity; such was not conducive to her continued existence. Whatever reasons the diminutive mage had, it was best to let them lie...

Thrashing through the snow, she could feel the fire inside flicker with every chilly step. Narrowing her eyes, Setsuna tucked her head down and hurried, desperate to reach the exit before those flames died and left her a frozen corpse. Hopefully, Chachamaru would have a change of clothes waiting...

In the dark, Eva watched her struggle with cool, impassive eyes. Above her, the stars wheeled and swirled, mirroring her racing mind. Half-demon or not, the girl had survived for far, far too long against her onslaught. The continuing spice of magic in her blood, alien to the girl herself, and vaguely familiar to the magus nosferatu, was just another sign that pointed to interference- something, some spell or enchantment, was keeping the girl alive regardless of what injuries she sustained, and whatever it was, was more powerful than even she wanted to tamper with.

_Watch yourself, half-breed. Something, somewhere has plans for you- regardless of your opinion on the matter..._

* * *

"_-and so, if we consider the metaphors present in the text, combined with the typical Shakespearean turn of phrase, it is clear that this sonnet, although attributed to Marlowe, should be observed to belong to the great Bard himself-"_

Feeling Negi's words wash over her like foam on the seashore, Haruna lolled her head from side to side, flicking her pencil between her fingers. Although the boy-teacher was trying his best, there were few in the world that could make her concentrate when she really didn't want to. Glancing down at her –somewhat sparse- page of notes and over towards Nodoka, faithfully scribing down their young tutors lesson, word for word, she couldn't help but grin.

_Heh. Oh bookstore, whatever shall we do with you?_

Rocking back in her chair, blithely ignoring Negi's explanation of lyrical meter, movement in front caught her eye. Konoka, brown-haired and perhaps a little more sombre than usual, wriggled in her seat, her gaze flicking towards the door. Behind her, the seat that Setsuna usually occupied was conspicuously empty, and the fretting young woman seemed to be very aware of this fact.

_Oh my, whatever could have delayed our resident swordswoman so? Seems to me, dear Konoka, that you should keep a better eye on your girl..._

The rattle and scrape of the opening door caught her attention, and apparently the rest of the class as well, and even Negi paused mid-sentence to watch a sheepish swordswoman make her way into the room.

"Well, Setsuna-san, so good of you to join us." Said the boy-teacher pleasantly, with just a gentle hint of sarcasm. Setsuna, perhaps a little paler than usual to Haruna's observant eye, flushed guiltily and stammered an apology. Dismissing her with a casual wave of the hand, Negi turned back to the lesson and the sheepish young woman all but bolted for her seat, eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

Haruna's eyes narrowed, glasses flashing. Had that been just a hint of relief in Negi's voice? And why was Konoka looking as though the sun had finally dawned on the longest, darkest, most frightening night of her life? Even Asuna, characteristically ignorant of just about everything between the hours of nine and three seemed to relax into her seat just a little more now that the slender young woman had finally walked into the room.

Squeezing awkwardly down the aisle, with many a muttered 'sorry' and 'excuse me', Setsuna hurried to her seat, gaze everywhere but Konoka's expectant face. When their gazes finally locked, Haruna felt the sparks crackle and send goosebumps over her skin in rolling, prickling waves.

Oblivious to her silent observers, Setsuna paused, sending an apologetic smile to her loved one, eyes soft and anxious lines smoothing from her young face. Craning forward as much as possible, Haruna caught the tail end of a whispered conversation:

"_-sorry to have worried you, ojou-sama."_

"_Just Kono-chan, Set-chan, and don't ever scare me like that again-"_

Aware that no-one was actually paying attention to him –not even the normally studious Nodoka- Negi paused, and coughed meaningfully into his hand.

"If I could continue with the lesson, please girls...?"

Jumping, Setsuna flushed and skittered to her seat, a flustered figure that passed bare inches by an amused Haruna, who snorted when the tip of Setsuna's ponytail brushed her cheek. "Sorry!" whispered the swordswoman, all but diving into her chair and shrinking downwards in the most conspicuously inconspicuous way possible, ignorant of the thoughtful look that flitted across the perverted mangaka's face.

Her nose wrinkling, the dirty-minded young woman grinned as she recognised a familiar, sickly-sweet smell, tempered with just the faintest hint of earthy, musky sweat.

_Almonds, if I'm not mistaken. I knew those two got up to something on their date last night!_

Grinning, and happily anticipating the chaos that was sure to break loose upon the wings of her next statement, she stood, pushing back her chair. Turning slowly, aware of Negi's exasperation and Setsuna's pleading expression, but unable to stop herself for all the silk in china, she lifted a hand dramatically, and jabbed her finger in the young woman's direction. Taking a deep breath, tasting almonds on her tongue, Haruna smiled evilly.

"_You_," declared Haruna, Setsuna's eyes flinching closed, Asuna slumping onto her desk, Konoka rising from her seat far too late to stop her, "_had sex last night!_"

A stunned silence descended upon the classroom, and held for all over a heartbeat; Setsuna sighed as she slumped back into her chair, even as Haruna cackled triumphantly.

_This is going to be bad..._

More silence. Then, as predicted, the class erupted into chaos.

Asuna thumped her head on the desk as, moving as one, the class burst out of their seats, surging towards a flustered swordswoman and an infuriated mage. Sighing in to the mass of her hair, Asuna grimaced.

"Here we go _again_..."

**

* * *

**

End Part Seven

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **...even though it didn't seem like it, the above chapter was very integral to the plot. I think. Um, a bit heavy dialogue wise, and featuring quite a lot of Eva-chan, but it was all for a reason!

Unfortunately, it's neccesary to have a plot-heavy chapter now and then. But! Fear not, next chapter will be back to the normal shenanigans, with hopefully a bombshell or two being dropped and a sure-to-be-epic trip to the chemist.

Till then, thanks for reading, and for being patient :)

(The button's down there. Go on. Make my day...)


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima = multi-million dollar (yen?) franchise. Me = poor, poor uni student. There's conflict here, I'm sure of it...

* * *

**PREFACE:**

Um.

Well.

...I'm not dead?

:hides under desk:

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! _Life_, that wonderful thing that ensures I can never do what I want, when I want, kind of took over for a while. Since the last update I have been to Japan (Best. Holiday. _Ever._), moved out of home, celebrated my fourth anniversary, gone through exams, trudged my way through a whole semester-and-a-half of university and discovered the joy that is the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules- all six billion bloody pages of it.

Also, _Egg Belly_ has a plot now. (Shocking, I know XD) Which subsequently required me to re-evaluate the story's direction and insert quite a lot more of development than I thought the story needed into the planned timeline, which means that the epic trip to the chemist that I mentioned last chapter is delayed somewhat. And the worst bit is... this isn't even the whole of part eight; after it passed 20,000 words my friends/co-conspirators suggested that maybe, you know, I should post at least half of it rather than make you guys wait another million years. :sweatdrop: After taking that wise advice, and finding an appropriate split point, here we are.

I'm still in the middle of the busy part of semester (read: panicking over my billions of assignments), so I will continue to be very busy for quite some time yet, and may not update until the year's end... On the upside, the next chapter is almost finished!

In other news: I have fanart! Awesome, awesome fanart! Much thanks to PepPepPepperoni, who drew it, and the link's in my profile- go check it out!

So... sorry for the wait, and hopefully, this will tide you over until I can finish part nine! Thank you to EVERYONE for your reviews, messages, support, fanart (woo-hoo!) and continued patience! I really, really appreciate it guys- you all are the reason I can keep writing! XD XD XD

So... without further ado... Enjoy!

* * *

**Egg Belly.**

* * *

**Part Eight**

* * *

"I want you to know I'm very disappointed in you, Setsuna-san. Demon attacks are one thing, but staying out late is not very clever, especially the night before the start of the school week. I honestly expected better than this from you."

Shaking his head, Negi paced between the desks of the empty room. Setsuna, seated before the boy-teacher, met his disappointed expression blankly. Teacher or not, some situations simply could not be explained fully to a teenage boy, and this was one of them.

_I don't think there is any way on earth I could explain without incriminating myself even further._

Sighing, the young magister perched himself on the edge of his desk. Behind him, Asuna shot the silent swordswoman a sympathetic glance. Chamo, lost in thought, stared blankly out of the window, slender body tucked into the red-head's collar. Noise leaked into the quiet from beneath the door, the chattering of the crowded hall a susurrant murmur in the background. In the courtyard far below the building, schoolgirls milled about, streams of maroon-jackets tiny as ants flowing about and around the fountain.

"That said, I appreciate how much danger you were in last night, and I understand that your priority was protecting Konoka-san above all else. You are her bodyguard, after all; I know that her safety must come first. I just wish there could have been some way for the situation to have been avoided-"

"Well, they didn't have any bento left, so I got some sandwiches instead." The door slid open, breaking the silence with a wash of sound, and Konoka smiled brightly at the grim occupants of the small classroom. Dumping her plastic bag on the closest table, she nudged the door shut with her elbow, setting down an armful of cans on Negi's desk. "Here, I got juice too. You like apple, right Negi?"

Taking a seat by Setsuna, the cheerful girl tossed a chilled can at the boy, giggling as the condensation-slick container slid through his fingers and _thunk_ed on the desktop.

"Um, thankyou Konoka-san, but I wasn't finished talk-"

Asuna snorted. "Give it a rest, Negi. Don't try pulling that 'I am your teacher' crap this early in the week, okay? Sheesh, you'd think you were thirty, not thirteen." Rolling her eyes, the redhead rummaged through the bag, pulling out a wrapped sandwich and peering at the label.

Negi flushed, and coughed delicately into a small fist.

"Fourteen, Asuna, _fourteen_. And that still leaves us with the mystery of why you were attacked last night after the barriers went down. Or why they even went down in the first place."

"It's obvious isn't it," mumbled Asuna around a mouthful of "fresh and delicious" chicken-salad sandwich, "the dean totally set it up. No doubt he wants to check out your mad skills or something, Setsuna."

The swordswoman frowned. "I don't believe the headmaster would stoop so low. And besides, he's well aware that I am a competent bodyguard. I don't see why he'd need to "test" me, even if he were so inclined."

Konoka nodded, rubbing her chilled drink against her forehead. Condensation dampened her fringe, and the girl sighed. "Grandpa's not like that, Asuna. He doesn't plot or plan things. I think it might've been a coincidence that we were out and about in the forest when the barriers went down."

Asuna rolled her eyes, but was too busy eating to protest.

Negi frowned. "But I still don't understand _why_ you were attacked in the first place. I mean, surely demons aren't so stupid as to attack an armed shinmeiryuu swordswoman. You had nothing they wanted, so to attack unprovoked is worrying. Perhaps we should raise this issue at the next security meeting-"

Setsuna coughed, a little flushed, and eyes downcast, shifted in her seat. "Actually, I _was_ unarmed at the time. And, I think- I think I know why we were attacked." Konoka, aware of the edgy undertone in Setsuna's voice, sent her love a questioning look, which caused the red painting her cheeks to flare brighter.

Chamo, silent up until now, nodded. "Of course. A she-demon, _in heat and unarmed_, out and about that late at night, might as well paint a bulls-eye on her chest. You were a target as soon as you set foot outside."

Both Negi and Asuna blinked. Setsuna sighed.

"Thank you, Chamo, for... mentioning that. Next time, I would appreciate you not divulging the details of my personal affairs." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shuffled in her seat, irritated, embarrassed and unable to meet the curious gazes of her companions. The small rodent ducked into Asuna's collar, squirming as the redhead grabbed him about the middle. Dumping the flustered ermine on the desk, Asuna pinned him with a glare.

"Heat? Chamo, what did you mean by that?" asked Negi.

"Yeah, furball, what _did_ you mean?" Chamo, flinching under their scrutiny, tried to make himself as small as possible. Konoka, having seen a few more wildlife documentaries than the other two, watched shame chase over Setsuna's pale features as the light dawned on her.

"Set-chan, are you...?" unsure how to finish her question, the brunette trailed off, watching sadness blossom in her love's dark-stained eyes.

"I was hoping that this wouldn't come up, not for a little while, but I guess luck isn't really on my side at the moment." The swordswoman's voice was barely a whisper, and she flinched away from Konoka's gentle hand reaching to touch her shoulder.

Asuna, slightly more perceptive than the boy-teacher and his pet rodent, noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere and felt something like guilt curdle in her stomach (although it could have been the chicken salad sandwich).

"Look, I don't think this is something we need to talk about right now- it's kinda private. Let's leave this for those two to discuss later, alright?"

Chamo, sighing in relief, squeaked as the redhead's fingernails dug into his soft flesh.

"_Ack! _Go easy on me, ane-san," he wheezed, thrashing in pain.

Negi, still unaware of the tense current, frowned, childish brow creasing. "But why, Asuna? I want to know what Chamo meant by-"

"Hey," interrupted the short-tempered schoolgirl, mind racing, "aren't there more _important_ things to talk about?" jerking her head in the young couple's direction. Perplexed, the boy-teacher glanced over at the girls –both just as bewildered- and back at the redhead, who waggled her eyebrows meaningfully. Still confused, he shrugged, flinching when Asuna slapped her forehead. "Geez, Negi, you were all worried about it earlier, don't tell me you've forgotten!"

Scrabbling in her pockets, the rambunctious teen produced a thin slip of paper- paper that shimmered ever so faintly in the sunlight, her young face blazoned across the front.

Negi's eyebrows shot into his hair.

"_Of course!_ How could I have forgotten?" whipping around to face a startled Konoka and Setsuna, the young mage dashed around the desk. "Please, girls, could you take out your pactio cards?"

Setsuna blinked, hands fluttering to her pockets- and stopped. "Oh, um, I haven't got mine on me. This, um, isn't my uniform..." flushing at Asuna's incredulous look, she coughed into her hand, turning to the brunette beside her. Konoka was rifling through her pockets too, her pretty face creased with consternation. "I could've sworn I put it in my pockets this morning..." coming up empty-handed, the healer slumped forward in her chair. "I don't know where it is Negi, I guess I must have left it in my handbag."

Negi slumped a little. "Ah. You haven't noticed anything strange with them? No strange flashes of light, magic circles appearing where they shouldn't be, and the like?"

Both girls blinked, looked at one another and shrugged. The boy-teacher seemed to shrink down even further, despair flitting across his youthful face. Setsuna frowned. "What's this all about? Is there something going on?"

Chamo skittered across the desk, jumping over to the table where the young women sat. "Look, when the Negster got up this morning, he couldn't find your cards." Raising a slender paw to forestall Konoka's shocked look, the small ermine shook his head, ears twitching. "We fairly turned the room upside down looking for them, and summoning didn't do anything either."

Negi swallowed, bracing himself against the desk. "It could have been that both of you were at Evangeline's lodge -her barriers tend to interfere with localised magic- but somehow I don't think that's the case. Girls, I want to try summoning your cards again; with you both so close, I shouldn't be affected by distance or magical interference."

Setsuna nodded her assent, but Konoka frowned, brow creasing. "But, if you can't summon our cards, does that mean we're not-"

"Please," said Negi, sending her a pleading look, "There's a chance that the spell simply didn't work this morning. I want to try again. If it fails... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

The young mage took in the glittering panic in the boy's eyes, his mouth curving unhappily. Worry etched itself in lines across his childish face.

"Okay, Negi. Whenever you're ready."

Jaw tightening, he stepped forward, left hand open, fingers twitching. His staff, resting against the wall, rose, loose bindings flapping in a sudden gust of air as it slammed into his open palm; auburn hair swayed in front of determined brown eyes, magic swirling about the room in sharp, flustering breezes that rang the bells in Asuna's hair and made the girl's skirts flutter.

"_Ministra magi Sakurazaki Setsuna, Konoe Konoka..."_

Every syllable shuddering with power, Negi chanted the ritual words, feeling magic thrumming in him, through him, spiralling along those unseeable strands that connected him to the girls bound to him by magic, by contract, by will and power. Eyes closing, he felt his mind pull on those lines, his sudden awareness of the dear friends who fought by his side against his foes enough to make his breath catch in his throat.

"_...contracted and bound to me..."_

His eyes snapped open. The tendrils of power, spilling out from the magic inside, shivered. A magic circle swirled into existence beneath his feet, the bindings on his staff whipping about in a glow of luminous enchantment.

"_...reveal your power!"_

Magic seethed through his outstretched hand, he took it, pulled it, directed it along the two threads that should have connected him to the two girls seated before him-

Felt the threads that were once there, torn like gossamer and fluttering loose on the winds of magic that swirled about him, and felt the power he poured into his words recoil and slam back into him with force enough to knock him backwards into the desk, staff clattering from his fingers to the floor as he fell, breath exploding from him in a shuddering gasp, the spell slipping from his grasp as his feet slipped from under him.

"Negi! _Negi!_ Konoka, help me!" Asuna scrambled upwards, knocking over her chair in her haste, the boy-teacher coughing and rolling onto his side, bracing himself against the oak desk. Groaning, he sat up, only to slump sidewards into the red-head's waiting arms. Tears trickling down his cheeks, Negi coughed again, racking shudders shaking his thin frame.

"What just happened?" asked Konoka, coming to kneel beside them, Setsuna hovering behind her. Reaching out, she stroked tangled hair from her teacher's eyes, straightening his small glasses. "What was that? I couldn't feel the contract being activated-"

"That's because it's not there anymore, ane-san." Chamo, huddled against a cup full of pens upon the desk, shook his head sadly. "Your probationary contract with Negi has been broken. Setsuna-ne-san's too." Skittering across the wooden panelling, he leapt off the edge and onto Negi's shoulder, the young mage lolling his head to the side to face the small ermine.

"But, Chamo, that's not possible. Once a contract has been made-"

"-it can't be unmade, yeah, yeah. I know that." Flicking his tail dismissively, the small fey shook his head. "Not easily, at any rate. Probationary contracts are powerful magic, Negi, but they're not impossible to break." Turning his gaze on the girls gathered around the young man, he sighed. "My fault for not warning you, I guess."

Leaning heavily against Asuna, Negi sat up, wiping his face. "I see. Magical backlash from trying to force a contract that doesn't exist anymore. But how? How did this happen? My other contracts are still in place, I could feel them..." looking over at Konoka and Setsuna, he shook his head. "But I can't feel you."

Asuna rocked back on her heels, and pinched her nose between her fingers. "Wait a minute. Okay, so, what, their cards disappeared because their contracts are broken, right? But when we saw that weirdo Al from the library, he had all those cards from broken pactios and-"

"Those pactios were not nullified, red. They were _dead_ pactios- the mages that initiated them had died, and so too the magic. This is different. Their contracts-" here his gaze fell upon the girls in question, and Konoka shuddered to see something more than the perverted ermine looking back at her through dark eyes, "-were dissolved. Their cards are gone, and so are their artefacts."

"Does that mean I can't summon my fans anymore?" asked Konoka, concern washing over her pretty face. "And Set-chan her wakizashi?"

Negi shook his head, pushing himself from Asuna's arms. "Actually, Setsuna should still be able to summon her artefacts. After all, her contract with you is still intact-" Here, the boy wizard stopped, eyes widening, piercing gaze meeting Konoka's own as though searching for an answer to a question yet unasked. Drawing in a shaky breath, he nudged his glasses back. "Chamo," he began, not taking his eyes from the brunette before him, "is it likely that the contract between Konoka and Setsuna is still active?"

Chamo, hesitating a little, slid down Negi's arm to land on the floor. "Um. Probably. Sort of."

"Sort of? It either is or isn't, Chamo."

Sweating now, the ermine scratched short claws through his fur. "Well, it's kinda complicated-" looking up at Negi, he swallowed. A fierceness normally present only in battle had settled into the young man's visage, eyes glinting behind thin spectacles, and an expression on his face redolent of Asuna at her pissed-off best thinned his mouth. Obviously, the young teacher's not-inconsiderable reserves of patience had run dry.

"It's another forty minutes until the lunchbreak ends, Chamo. I think we have the time."

Swallowing, the small fey glanced over at the other occupants of the near-empty classroom. Asuna watched him with beady eyes reminiscent of a bird of prey; he wouldn't get any help there. Setsuna, too, appeared sternly indifferent to his discomfort; something feral had crept into the shadows of her eyes these past few months, something unlikely to grant him mercy from piercing questions relevant to her ojou-sama.

_Oh boy. This ain't gonna be pretty..._

"Please, Chamo?" asked Konoka softly, "If there's something going on, I want to know what it is. Too much bad stuff has happened these past couple of days, and if something else is happening, I want to know about it now, especially if it's gonna affect me and Set-chan."

Always a sucker for a pretty face, Albert Chamomile sighed heavily, and looked upwards at the pleading young woman.

"Fine. But you two can't go getting angry at me, okay? And no saying anything about how I didn't warn you, 'cause I didn't even think this kinda thing could happen until this morning, alright?"

* * *

Pens scratched, somewhat miserably, across paper.

"You are aware, Haruna, that I place the blame for this _entirely_ upon your shoulders, yes?" Ayaka's tone, having long ago passed from _We Are Not Amused_ to _Off With Her Head_, sent slight shudders down the mangaka's spine; that, and the heated stares of her classmates boring into the back of her skull, was a clear sign that she was in deep... _trouble_, head downwards.

Slumping a little, she tried her best to ignore the hurt look Nodoka was giving her, and concentrate on her lines as Ayaka continued, well into her spiel about student responsibility and not about to stop for all the tea in England.

"I mean, delivering yourself into the depths of irresponsible rumour-spreading is all well and good, but implicating your own classmates? Shame, Haruna, _shame_ that you would sink so low into thoughtless depravity. Whatever possessed you to declare such a scandalous rumour in the middle of our English lesson? I am not surprised our dear Negi-sensei chose to place you in detention." Crossing her arms across her –somewhat ample- chest, the imperious blonde drew herself up regally, standing upon her chair as though to further emphasise her place above the disgruntled and somewhat guilty girl. "He was right to impose such punishment upon you, and may you be better for it!"

"Yeah, but he didn't have to make us do it as well!" whined the cheerleaders, the other girls joining in their chorus of complaints. Haruna shuddered, eyes flicking sideways to where Nodoka, replete with Kicked-Puppy face, was sobbing quietly into Yue's arms.

"There, there, Nodoka. It's only detention," murmured her philosophical friend, fingers gently stroking Nodoka's hair, the taller girl clutching her shoulders weakly. Inconsolable, the timid librarian moaned softly. "I've never had detention before in my life! This is going on my permanent record!" she wailed, burying her head in Yue's –considerably flat- chest. "_Now I'll never go to college!"_

Yue, doing her best to appear sympathetic without actually feeling any sympathy at all, rolled her eyes, mumbled soothing nothings to the sobbing librarian. Lifting her head from her despairing classmate, her gaze flicked onto Haruna's face, and the slow anger smouldering at the back of those deep eyes was enough to make her wince. Turning back to her notebook, she shuddered, all too aware she'd probably cop _another_ lecture about privacy and the rights of the people vs. the press.

Pen scratching aimless squiggles that may have loosely resembled the lines that Negi had ordered them to copy out one thousand times –_I will respect the privacy of others and not spread unsubstantiated rumours during class- _she squirmed under the weight of her classmates angry regard.

_At least Eva decided not to rock up today. I'd rather not have lil' ms fangface cheesed off at me. Schoolgirls I can handle, but not vampires. At least with schoolgirls, I won't have to worry about losing my head. _Here, she hesitated, the lead of her pencil snapping to skid across the page. _Probably. _

A pointed cough in her direction made her turn, only to see Mana very obviously polishing her rifle, lining up the scope with nonchalant precision to include her seat. Located nearby her, Kaede, eyes slitted, lazily juggled a few razor-edged kunai, blue rainbows flashing off polished, mirrored edges and sent them spinning to slam into plastered walls with the merest flick of a wrist; that her gaze rested on Haruna whilst she did so was no mere coincidence. Yuna was a little less subtle about it, drawing her thumb across her throat with a scowl on her face, the universal gesture for _you're fucking dead_. The other girls' expressions weren't so different; even the normally placid twins seemed pissed.

Haruna sighed and turned back to her seat.

Lunch wasn't even half way over yet. This was going to be a _looooong_ detention...

* * *

Chamo, standing on the ledge of the chalkboard, twitched his tail upwards, extending two small arms to balance himself. Satisfied the small shelf –originally designed to hold chalk and erasers- could cope with his weight, he wrapped his tiny paws about the pointer, wobbling slightly as it nearly sent him toppling down. Managing to finally get a grip on both the stick and his balance, he rested the tip against the chalk board, took a deep breath, and promptly had a heart attack, startled by the force of Asuna's impatient yell.

"Will you bloody get on with it, you vermin ermine! _Stop messing around and spill the beans already!_"

The redhead, never patient at the best of times, leaned over her desk menacingly, glaring at the small, terrified bundle of fur. Chamo squeaked, fighting down evolutionary instincts to cower away, and shuddered.

"_Please_, Chamo, I want to know what's going on." Negi managed to sound both pleading and pissed off at the same time.

Chamo coughed. "Ahem. Okay, well, we all know _probationary_ pactios can be made by kissing in a magic circle, right?" here, he snapped his fingers, and a standard probationary pactio circle glowed into life on the blackboard. Pink shadows danced about the room. Asuna scowled. Sweat beaded in Chamo's fur.

"Anyway, probationary pactios are, as the name suggests, probationary. That is to say, temporary. They're not meant to last forever- in fact they're only meant to last until the mage who's making these contracts figures out who they want to spend the rest of eternity with- and that's when the permanent pactios come in."

"_Permanent_ pactios?" asked Negi, "I don't think you've mentioned those before..."

Chamo nodded sagely. "That's right aniki- you're too young to make them. A mage has to be an _adult_ to make a permanent pactio. They're a lot harder to instigate, too. You need a bigger magic circle than this one, and witnesses, and certain rituals have to be performed. And, uh, _other things _have to be, uh, taken into account." Chamo coughed into one small paw, meaningful gaze shifting from Konoka to Setsuna and back again.

Feeling strangely uncomfortable, the swordswoman felt the blood rise in her cheeks, face hot. There was something suggestive in the ermine's tone that set her feathers ruffling beneath her shirt. Konoka scrunched her hands in her lap, fidgeting in her seat- she too had felt the subtle undertones in Chamo's words, and was fairly certain she knew what he was referring to.

_Well, this is awkward. But what is he hinting at...?_

Asuna, who had been thoughtful until now, her normally peaceful face scrunched up in concentration, suddenly jerked forward, slapping her hands together.

"I get it! You think those two made a permanent pactio! But... how is that possible?" enthusiasm lost, she slumped back, sighing as she crossed her arms. "You said you need like, magical circles and witnesses and junk. And from what Konoka said, they were alone for most of last night."

Fighting down a blush, Konoka nodded. "Yeah, and we didn't draw any magic circles or perform any rituals or anything either. So, we couldn't have." Glancing over at her lover, she smiled. "Don't worry Set-chan, we'll sort this out."

Negi shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure, Konoka-san. Strange things happen with magic sometimes, so it's best we try to keep our minds open and just listen to what Chamo has to say."

Chamo nodded. "You got it, Negi. Now, ladies and gents, pay attention- this is where it gets... complicated." Turning back to the board, he snapped his fingers. The magic circle winked out in a brief flash of pink light, only to be replaced moments later- thin, delicate lines of dusky enchantment wound across the blackboard in intricate traceries that swirled in complex, dizzying motions. Three circles formed, curling around and about one another, winking in and out of existence in a manner that scattered glowing cinders of magical power across the carpet. Light, soft as the first dawn of spring, broke across the room in gentle waves, casting subtle shadows over the occupant's faces.

"Wow... _pretty_..." murmured Asuna, pink sparkles dancing in her eyes.

"Remember what this looks like, red. You might get to see it one day." Chamo grinned briefly, before shaking his head and slipping back into magical-lecture mode. "Okay, so see how big and fancy this is? This is a permanent pactio circle. Actually, this is a scale version- the real thing tends to be a lot bigger, and kind of three-dimensional. Imagine that these three circles here represent the body, mind and soul-" reaching up with the pointer, the small ermine-fairy tapped the outermost ring, the middle ring, and finally the innermost, which shimmered briefly before settling down, "-and indicate the levels on which the parties involved in the pactio, mage and ministra, bind themselves together." Collapsing the pointer, he snapped his fingers once more, and the circle swelled in size, now surrounding two small figures, glowing with pink light, tiny hands clasped.

"These two represent mage and ministra. Now, when inside the circle, they don't just have to kiss; a peck on the lips isn't going to cut it. Declarations have to be made, vowing eternal loyalty and devotion, in this world and any others, till the end of time, come what may, et cetera- in short, they have to pledge themselves to one another, in front of the witnesses, and the magic seals them together in a permanent and lasting bond. Emphasis on _permanent_- once you enter into this sort of contract, you can't get out of it."

"Whoa, talk about hardcore. No wonder little kids aren't allowed to do this," mumbled Asuna. Next to her, Negi made a _shush_ing motion, and leant forward in his seat, pushing his glasses back. "This is important Asuna- I might have to draw one of these one day."

Ignoring the comments from the peanut gallery, the small ermine continued.

"Okay, so after all the fancy words are out of the way, the two people have to... well, they have to uh, _prove_ their devotion. Usually the witnesses leave for this part." Chamo scratched his head as the tiny figures in the circle moved, magic blurring them into flickering light as they sank into each other's arms, clearly depicting a passionate embrace.

Asuna quickly slapped a hand over Negi's eyes, ignoring his protests as heat flared in her cheeks. "Oh, wow. You mean they've gotta-"

"Yep." said Chamo.

Konoka and Setsuna both looked at one another, looked away, and felt identical blushes burn through them, memories of the night previous suddenly alive once more in their minds. Biting her lip, the brunette slowly reached out a hand, brushing against the swordswoman's own, fingertips entwining. The half-demon felt her pulse jump in her throat, uncannily aware of the closeness of her love, the warmth radiating from her body, the sweet shampoo-smell that drifted from her soft hair. Leaning towards the young mage, she sighed, drawing in a breath through slightly parted lips. The demon stirred beneath her skin, and quite suddenly, she could taste the desire that wafted from the young woman beside her. Konoka shivered, fingers twitching against Setsuna's palm. Her head tipped back, exposing the smooth column of her throat. Setsuna swayed forward, reducing the distance between them to mere centimetres.

"_Kono-chan..."_ she whispered, her mouth a hairs-breadth from Konoka's skin. The brunette shivered, fingers clenching in her lover's hand. Setsuna drew in a shaky breath, steeled herself against the heat pooling in her limbs, and slowly drew back. Konoka rolled her head sideways, brown eyes dark with emotion.

"Set-chan... I think we need to have a talk after this. Somewhere we can be _alone_..." her soft voice set anticipation shivering in the half-demon's stomach, and Setsuna nodded, reaching out a hand to stroke a lock of soft hair from an even softer cheek.

Asuna, ignorant of the tension between her two best friends and still caught on the same thought, cleared her throat. "Like, they actually-"

"You got it." Nodded Chamo.

"_Asuna! This is ridiculous! I am your teacher and I demand you let go of me! This is incredibly demeaning, and I insist you stop right this minute!"_

The young woman frowned, brow creasing in disbelief. "..._really?_"

"_Really_, red." Sighed the ermine.

Magical teacher still flailing in her grip, Asuna frowned. "In a magic circle? Isn't that... kinda awkward?"

"_Asuna! Bloody let go!"_

"Well, you remember what kissing in a probationary pactio circle is like, right? That warm and fuzzy feeling? Well, this is like that, only a lot stronger. The circle makes it easy for the parties involved. And normally this ceremony is held in specially designed rooms, so, uh, the environment is more... conductive." Holding up a paw to forestall any more questions, Chamo turned back to the board. "Let's get on with it, shall we? Okay, so, declarations made, devotion proved, now the couple come out of the circle, no longer two people but, for all magical intents and purposes, one being. See, unlike your standard probationary pactio which creates a magical bond, binding mage and ministra together in a contract as two individual people, a permanent pactio _merges_ the mage and ministra on a magical, spiritual and ethereal level to create one living entity that just happens to have two bodies and two minds."

Clicking his fingers again, the circle dissipated in a shimmering flash, leaving a peachy afterglow to hang briefly in the air. The two small figures blurred into clarity once more, side by side.

Turning back to his audience, the ermine paused, hesitating at the sight of a flustered Negi squirming in Asuna's tight embrace. "Uh, Bells, you can probably let go of him now..."

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry Negi." Slightly sheepish, the redhead relaxed her hold.

Jerking out of her suddenly slack grip, Negi huffed and straightened his suit jacket, clearly disgruntled and trying to regain his tattered dignity. Smoothing his trousers, he sat forward in his seat, young shoulders tense with anxiety.

Ignoring the apologetic look Asuna sent his way, he coughed delicately into a closed fist, before bringing up a question that had bothered him since their discussion had started.

"Chamo, what happens to any pactio contracts that the parties entering into this new, permanent contract already have?"

"_Now_ that's the issue at hand here." Chalk in hand, the ermine reached up, wobbling slightly as he sketched three crude stick figures on the board. "Okay, so we have A, B and C. Let's say A and B already have a probationary pactio-" here, a thin chalk line was sketched between two of the figures "-like so. Okay so they're bound to one another, sharing magic power, strength and vitality, yadda yadda yadda, but if, say, A dies, B is freed from the contract. The link breaks, and B toddles away, none the worse for wear, but with a shiny piece of paper left over as evidence of the fact that once upon a time, they had a contract. B can't summon their weapon, can't draw on A's power anymore, nothing. With me so far?"

His audience nodded, but were silent. Chamo smiled. "Any questions?"

A thoughtful look creasing her young face, Asuna slowly raised her hand.

"Yes, red?"

"Why does A's head look like a grapefruit?"

"A _lumpy_ grapefruit," added Negi helpfully, peering forwards, squinting through his pince nez.

Chamo slumped against the chalk board.

"Let's just go on shall we?" Turning back to his... differently artistic stick figurines, the small ermine tapped the chalk against the board. "Okay, so A and B have a probationary contract. But say B and C meet, fall madly and passionately in love and decide that they want to make a permanent pactio... that's where dissolution comes in." Stretching up on his furry toes, he drew a line connecting B and C, considerably thicker than the previous line. "As soon as B and C make a permanent contract, any and all other contracts, magical bindings, bonds, pacts and so forth are all considered null and void."

Here, he smudged the chalk line between A and B in one quick movement. Negi shuddered at the sudden swipe of small paws, unconsciously aware of a severing that had taken place the previous night, but unsure how to express this feeling of _loss_ that had flashed through him, so quickly, with the breaking of that line.

Oblivious, Chamo continued. "Probationary contracts are capable of existing side by side, multiple partners and whatever have you, but permanent contracts aren't- they are _exclusive_. Wholly and absolutely." Here, the small ermine paused, brief consternation flitting over his face. "Mostly. Just don't ask about that business with the queen and her identical twin consorts about fifty years ago..."

His audience blinked. Asuna raised a hand slowly, as though to broach the question that occurred to them all, and was ignored.

"...and that about wraps it up for permanent pactios 101. In regards to your basic permanent pactio, I don't think there's really anything else I should mention..." the ermine trailed off thoughtfully, chin resting on a paw. Asuna, slightly peeved at being ignored, stretched and yawned loudly, flopping back with a muffled grunt. Leaning forward, she fixed the small ermine fey with a beady gaze.

"Glad that's over. Very educational and all that, an illuminating insight into the magical world and all its nuances and whatever, but I don't really see what this has to do with Konoka and Setsuna. 'Cause like I said before, they didn't do any of that junk. I mean, sure, _if_ they'd gone and made a permanent thingy, it would make sense for the contracts between them and short stuff here-" Negi, protesting loudly at the dismissive nickname, narrowly missed being poked in the eye with the thumb jerked in his direction "-to be nullified or what have you, but no magic circle equals no pactio, am I right?"

Sitting back, Asuna folded her arms with a smirk, confident her point was proven.

Much to the redhead's surprise, the rebuttal came not from Chamo, but from her teacher, seated beside her, face still flushed from recent annoyance. The young mage, eyes a little too old to match his youthful countenance, sighed, removing his glasses to polish them with a small cloth produced from the pocket of his suit jacket in gesture that belonged to a man thirty years his senior.

"Magic is _magic_, Asuna; you can't predict what it will and won't do with the accuracy of science. I would have thought, in all that you have seen in your years as my ministra, you would have come to understand the capricious nature of enchantments and the mages who wield them a little better than this."

Seemingly engrossed in cleaning his spectacles, the boy teacher paid no mind to the dull flush of embarrassment that snaked its way across Asuna's neck at his chastening tone. Opening her mouth to comment, the red head was forestalled by Negi's thoughtful gaze resting upon her, the weight of his regard pressing against her skin with rare solemnity before flicking over to the brunette seated by the desks.

"Konoka is one of, if not _the_, world's most powerful mages. And although I am, for the moment, far more skilled –a state of affairs that I am sure would quickly change should she find herself in the same situations that I have been over these past few years- Konoka is, quite frankly, gifted with more natural magical affinity then I could ever hope to draw upon after over a hundred years of dedicated training. In layman's terms, when it comes to sheer force of power, our dear friend here, daughter of the imperial line, descended from a _goddess_ of all things- she's got me beat hands down." Settling his glasses back into place, he shot the girl in question a dazzling smile, obviously inherited from his currently absent father. "With all that magic around you, Konoka-san, I wouldn't be very surprised at all if things that the rest of us considered impossible happened around you as a matter of course."

The brunette couldn't help but smile back at the young man who was, regardless of his position as her teacher, still a close friend.

"Thanks Negi."

Beside her, Setsuna bristled a little, jealously spiking her with enough force to set her feathers ruffling under her shirt. Although the boy was a friend, a teacher and a fellow warrior, she nonetheless felt the urge to smack him one for looking over at _her_ woman that way-

Setsuna blinked. _My "woman"? What am I, a cave man? Gods, maybe Eva hit me harder than I thought..._

"You hit the nail on the head, negster." Chamo, scrambling down from the chalkboard, clambered up onto Negi's lap and paced across his knees, tail thrashing in excitement. "Which is why I believe what we have here may be a case of _spontaneous_ contract initiation."

"Say what now?" deadpanned Asuna, kind of annoyed that the smug furball was _still_ in lecture mode, and rearing to go yet again.

"_Spontaneous_ contract initiation..." murmured Konoka, looking thoughtful. "So the pactio or whatever just... appears by itself?"

Chamo winked. "You got it, sweetcheeks." Ignoring Setsuna's pointed cough, the vermin ermine all but jumped up and down in his enthusiasm. "It's very, very rare, but when dealing with colossal amounts of magic, as well as other factors like life-threatening danger, love confessions and the like, it's sometimes possible for a contract to initiate itself. The best example I can give happened between a young couple caught in a linequake."

Here Negi winced, shaking his head. "The ley lines around them collapsed? How did they survive? Usually the magical backlash is enough to shatter physical reality around the focal point-"

"Yeah, yeah, big magical disaster, we get the point," huffed Asuna. Frowning at her, Chamo picked up where Negi had been interrupted.

"The pair in question had just met, so it was a case of love at first sight, and he was a mage of some considerable power. When the eruption happened, she tackled him to the ground, only to find herself in the midst of a magic circle. When excavators dug them out of the rubble three days later, they were surrounded by a shield- her artefact, activated by a spontaneous permanent contract. Needless to say, they lived happily ever after."

"So crisis plus power plus fate equals contract?" asked Negi, ever the scholar, and attempting to summarise the concept into a simple equation.

Chamo paused in his pacing, and thought for a minute. "...actually, yeah, that about sums it up. It's vastly simplified of course- you've got to consider other things like already instigated contracts, compatibility of the two parties involved, recent expenditure of magical essence, intention and so forth, but otherwise that works pretty well." Turning his gaze to his audience, and ignoring the baneful look Asuna sent him as she tapped her watch, he drew himself up to his full height.

"Here's what I think happened: you go out on a romantic date, get all lovey-dovey, and on the way home, you got ambushed. Setsuna, your protective instincts went into overdrive, correct?"

Flushing at the implications of 'lovey-dovey', the swordswoman nodded.

Ignoring her embarrassment, Chamo continued. "So big fight scene, against all odds, hordes of demons versus the lone swordswoman, yadda yadda yadda. Konoka, in the magic bubble, safe but freaking out because _you're_ in danger now, pulls out all the stops and whips up a big magic spell and combining her magic with your skill and determination saves the day. Right?"

Konoka nodded, smiling at Setsuna, who turned the colour of overripe plums.

Pacing again, Chamo's head bobbed up and down as he circled the surface of Negi's lap. "So you survive, badly wounded, and Konoka manages to drag you home and saves your hide _again_ by magical healing power. And then you two get all snugly and end up-" here, the ermine paused, suddenly aware of the way Setsuna was staring at him. Blushing or not, her eyes were sharp like a bird of prey, that predatory assessment reminding him all too clearly that, as a small furry animal, magical or not, she was higher up the food chain than him and probably more than willing to remove him from said food chain if he pissed her off too much. "Um, going to sleep?" he squeaked, and relaxed only slightly when her gaze shifted from the back of his head. "Yes. Um, sleeping, and perfectly innocently so, at that." Swallowing, he shook off the creeping notion that he was on the menu, and tried to regain his train of thought.

"Chamo," said Negi slowly, mind racing ahead as child prodigies are wont to do, "from what you're saying... Konoka and Setsuna have fulfilled all the necessary criteria." Standing up suddenly, Chamo leaping from his lap as his brown eyes flashed with excitement, the young mage began to count off his thoughts on his fingers. "One: _Crisis_. When you were ambushed, Setsuna, how certain were you that you could save both Konoka and yourself from certain death?"

Setsuna, startled to be questioned so, met Negi's enquiring gaze. "I was certain that I could save the ojou-sama. As for myself... I expected to die in the forest last night." Ignoring Konoka's gasp, the half-demon continued, dark eyes hard. "It was just a matter of destroying the enemy before my wounds incapacitated me any further, and ensuring she was safe before I succumbed to gross blood loss." Closing her eyes, Setsuna sighed. "I am a shinmeiryuu warrior, and I am my ojou-sama's bodyguard. It is not a question of her continued survival, Negi-sensei; it is a question of whether or not I will die today to ensure it. And though this life is not something I wish to lose, I would give it up a thousand times over if it was needed, in blood and trial and horrible agony, if it meant that she could awake to see the next dawn safe and whole."

The room rang with sudden silence in the aftermath of those words, and the simple statement of fact from the determined swordswoman was more powerful than any oath.

Konoka, reaching, seized Setsuna's hand, squeezing slim fingers tightly with her own; the young woman opened her eyes hesitantly, and saw no reprimand in the soft gaze resting upon her. Konoka smiled sadly, brushing away a stray tear with her free hand.

"I'd never ask that of you, Set-chan- _never_."

"But I would give it Kono-chan, willingly so, without you ever needing to ask."

Negi nodded, a little shaken by the swordswoman's blatant disregard for her own safety, but unbowed. "I hope you realise, Setsuna-san, you needn't face such dangers as you did last night on your own ever again. Bodyguard or not, you are my student, and though you are not my ministra anymore, do not think that I would ever hesitate to help you should you require my aid."

Asuna, grinning, reached across and slugged Setsuna in the arm hard enough to make the swordswoman flinch. Turning to the redhead amidst Konoka's giggles, she couldn't help but smile back at the cheeky smile that blazed across her class mate's face. "Yeah, shorty- don't think you have to do it all on your own, 'kay? We're your friends- and dammit, we can help with that kind of thing! If you ever find yourself in trouble, you better call me up to help, or I'm gonna be mad when I find out you hogged all the fun to yourself, alright?"

Smiling at the casual camaraderie between his students, Negi coughed to draw their attention back to the matter at hand.

"Everyone, we can safely say that the first requisite, _crisis_, has been safely satisfied. Which leads us to the next- _Power_. Considering your reiteration of events, girls, I'm certain that you both expended a considerable amount of power, magical and otherwise. Konoka-san, I understand that the incantation you performed is one you thought up yourself, inspired loosely by _cantus bellax_, correct?"

Nodding, the brunette smiled, somewhat abashed, at her young teacher. "Yeah," she said softly, "I wanted to help, but I didn't know what kind of spells would help Set-chan, so I just made one up by myself." Turning to her bodyguard/lover, her young face warmed with a grateful smile. "I'm just glad I could do something to help."

Shunting his glasses back onto his nose, Negi found himself smiling, excited by the possibilities stretching out before him. "I think it's safe to say you helped, Konoka-san. In fact, I think that incantation of yours, and the healing magic you performed later that night filled the second criteria on their own, not to mention the force of energy expended by Setsuna-san." Pacing again, he spun on the spot to wave a hand in Konoka's direction. "Konoka-san, as you are only just beginning your training, you don't yet have the capabilities to control how much magic you expend when performing a spell or incantation- something that, in this case, was to your advantage." Turning to Chamo, who scrambled up onto the desk, the boy teacher sought confirmation of his theory.

"Sheesh," said Asuna, flicking her gaze over and across to the windows. "Complicated much?"

Setsuna, quiet for a little while now, spoke at last, startling both boy and ermine. "Forgive me, Negi-sensei, but although I understand your theories regarding the danger we were in, and the amount of magical power that Kono-chan expended to save me, I don't quite understand the last criterion you mentioned... fate? What do you mean by that?"

Pausing mid-discussion with the small ermine, Negi turned to the swordswoman, a wide grin breaking over his youthful face. "Why, true love of course!" eyes shining like the stars in midsummer, the boy mage all but bounced on the spot. "True love! If two people are fated to be together, then it makes sense for their magic to support that. You love Konoka-san, don't you?"

"What? _O-of course!_"stammered Setsuna, taken aback and embarrassed by the directness of her teacher's question. Beside her, Konoka giggled at her discomfiture.

"See?" Sticking his hands in his pockets, Negi rocked back and forth on his heels, grinning with delight. "And Konoka loves you very much too, doesn't she?"

The brunette in question smiled sweetly at her flustered girlfriend, and squeezed her hand again. "You bet I do, Negi."

Throwing his hands up in excitement, the boy-mage clapped them together. "There you go! Fate, the decider of whom should be with whom, can surely be considered satisfied with that. _Love_, Setsuna-san; that's what it all comes down to in the end."

Asuna looked away from the windows then, eyes fixed on her paradox of a teacher. Stern-faced mage one minute, giddy child the next, his sweet naiveté in regards to love in all its forms, and his staunch belief that love and love alone was the most singular and important reason for being still continued to surprise her. _Still,_ she thought, unable to stop the faint smile that curved her mouth, _it is kinda cute... whoa, sister, you did NOT just think of Negi as cute. Brr._ Forcing herself to scowl, the redhead sat up straight in her seat and tuned back into the conversation.

"...I suppose you could say that permanent pactios _are_ all about love, so yes, by what we've just worked out, I would safely say our belief that these girls have managed to complete a permanent, although spontaneous, pactio could be considered justified." Chamo yawned then, stretching his lean body in a ripple of fur.

"Wow... we made a permanent pactio, Set-chan, and we didn't even know it!" a thought crossed Konoka's mind like a cloud across a sunny sky, and her smile faded just a little as she turned to her teacher. "I guess this means Set-chan and are really aren't your partners any more, huh?"

Negi nodded, a little saddened by the realisation that two of his dear friends were separated from him now. "That's true. But still my friends and comrades, I hope?"

"Of course, Negi-kun! Right, Set-chan?" Setsuna nodded, fingers tangled with her lady's own.

"Most definitely."

Chamo sighed wistfully, shaking his head back and forth. "And there goes two of the best cards we had..."

Asuna jerked in her seat, lunging for the ermine's skinny neck. "I don't believe you! You're only in it for the _cards_, you rotten little sneak! What am I, chopped liver?" she cried, shaking the limp body of Chamo in her clenched fists.

"_Ack-! Ane-san-! I didn't mean it-!"_ squeaked Chamo, to no avail.

"_Asuna! Let him go!"_

"_Stupid vermin ermine!"_

Konoka and Setsuna, watching the small ermine fairy's attempted murder unfold, traded significant glances. As Negi leapt ineffectually onto Asuna's back, desperately trying to prise her hands from Chamo's furry neck, the two girls slipped silently from their seats, and headed for the door. Unnoticed in the commotion, they left the room as the school bell rang, the echoes following them down the hall and towards the stairs, simply two girls melting into the crowds spilling through the school.

Negi and Asuna, caught in a tug-of-war over a gagging ermine, didn't notice they were gone until after their mad scramble to get back to class, and only when Negi took a head count of his Foreign Literature class.

(Chamo, unconscious in Negi's coat pocket, wouldn't notice until later that night, but by then, the young couple had skipped a whole afternoon's worth of classes.)

* * *

Setsuna, staring upwards at the blue, cloud-strewn sky, sighed as heat leached through her borrowed school uniform from the sun-soaked concrete of the school's roof. Rustling her feathers beneath the thin layer of _chi_ that held her illusion in place, she yawned and stretched, jiggling Konoka's head up and down on her stomach as the young mage reclined against her slender form.

Feeling more relaxed than she had in what felt like years, she rolled her head to face the centre of her universe, the young brunette unable to resist a yawn also.

"Do you think they've noticed we're missing yet?" asked Konoka lazily, twirling a stray leaf between her fingers.

"Probably. Although there's not terribly much Negi-sensei can do about it, not with the whole class in uproar 'cause of Haruna."

Shaking her head, Konoka shifted a little, smoothing her skirt down across her thighs. "True. I can't believe she'd say that in front of everyone." Pausing to consider her friend and her gossipy nature, she sighed. "Actually, yes I can. Still, I'm kind of glad Negi stuck everyone in detention and made them promise not to tell the whole school we..." here, she trailed off, biting her lip as a blush stained her cheeks, too shy to actually speak the next few words aloud.

_Had sex_, finished Setsuna in the privacy of her own head, _and that's opening a whole new can of worms. Working up the courage to tell the dean I'm dating his granddaughter was impossible enough, so how am I going to break the news that we're not only dating, we're in a permanent pactio _and_ slept together? _Shuddering, Setsuna covered her face with her hands. _I am so going to die. And then Eishun-sama is going to find out, condemn me as the worst bodyguard ever, _then _he'll kill me. Worse than kill me, he'll forbid me from seeing Konoka ever again!_

A grim, Kono-chan-less future flashing in front of her eyes, Setsuna groaned softly, missing the pensive look on her love's face at that mournful sound, and the worry that flashed in brown, soulful eyes.

"Set-chan...? You don't... regret it, do you?" Fidgeting anxiously, Konoka couldn't hide the unhappy curve of her mouth at the thought that maybe, just maybe, what had been so _special_ for her had only brought problems for the other girl. Setsuna, perplexed, sat up, turning the trembling brunette to face her with gentle hands.

"What? Of course not, Kono-chan. Why would you think that? Unless... _you_ don't regret it?" unease blossomed in the bottom of the half-demon's stomach as the colour drained from her face.

"Oh Gods. You do, don't you." Clutching her face, she chewed on bloodless lips. "I took advantage of you. Oh Gods, what have I done?!" despair wracking her face, the overwrought swordswoman shook with self loathing.

Konoka blinked. "What? Set-chan, I think we're just upsetting ourselves here." Sighing, she smoothed loose locks of chocolate hair from her face, a shy smile slipping into place across her countenance. "I didn't regret it at all, Set-chan. Last night was... well, _magical_." Giggling a little at the pun, she took Setsuna's hands in her own and drew them away from her face. "I was just worried when you groaned that you were thinking about something bad, and then I got worried that maybe it was last night that was upsetting you." She bobbed her head a little, a deprecating look in her expressive eyes. "I mean, I know I thought last night was, was _wonderful_. For me, at least, but I haven't really had a chance to talk about it with you yet, and I wasn't sure what you were thinking and-"

"Breathe, Kono-chan," whispered Setsuna, colour rising in her cheeks as she bumped her forehead against Konoka's. Visibly more relaxed now, the half-demon rubbed her fingers along the soft palms of Konoka's hands.

"I thought last night was wonderful too. The romantic moments, that is- not the stuff with demons." She added, pale brow creasing. "That, I could've done without."

"Yeah," said Konoka, shivering in memory of the horror they'd faced in the forest. "I could've done without that too." Slipping her head down to rest on the shorter girl's shoulder, she sighed as a breeze ruffled her hair. Patches of shadow flowed across the rooftop, cast from the clouds flowing across the sky, and a little chilly from the pooling shade, she snuggled closer to her girlfriend. Setsuna's arms slipped about her waist, the swordswoman pressing kisses to the top of her love's head.

The girls sat in silence for a moment, listening to the distant hubbub of the school's baseball team practicing. A distant _crack_ of bat colliding with ball and the faint roar of the watching crowd spoke well for the Mahora Magician's chances of making it big at the inter-campus championships this year.

A little hesitant to break the silence, but recognising the importance of a much-needed conversation about the night before –and, indeed, the new development of their permanent pactio itself- Konoka pulled back from the embrace. Setsuna, too, sat up straighter, running fingers through her dishevelled fringe.

"Set-chan... what were you thinking about before you got upset?"

Steeling herself, the swordswoman swallowed, willing the words to flow easy before she lost her nerve. "About what we were going to tell your grandfather. I mean, I'm not ashamed of what we have Kono-chan, but I'd rather tell him myself than have him find out before I was ready to tell him about us."

Konoka nodded. "I know. Grandpa... he's pretty easy going, but he still talks about me getting married off from time to time. I don't know what he'd say if he caught us together." She cringed then. "Oh, I didn't even think about what daddy would say too..."

Setsuna, picturing all too clearly what Eishun might say should he find out she'd shacked up with his daughter, swallowed again, images of her bloody death flashing before her eyes.

Taking Setsuna's hand in her own, Konoka traced circles across slender fingers. "Maybe... maybe it'd be best if we kept the pactio to ourselves for a little while. I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone in the Negi-gumi is going to find out, but if we can just keep it from grandpa and daddy until we can figure out what it means for us, what we're going to tell them, and what we're going to do if they take it badly..." a steely look flashing in brown eyes then, she clutched tightly at the swordswoman's fingers. "And no matter what happens, no matter what they say, I'm not going to leave you, Set-chan; not ever. You're my partner, and my... my _lover_, and I'm not going to leave you. They can't take me away from you, because I'm not going to let them."

Setsuna, wordless in the face of her beloved's determination, snaked her arms about Konoka's waist, crushing the brunette against her body tightly.

"I'm not going to leave you either, Kono-chan," she whispered hoarsely, feeling the words choke in her throat, "_I love you_ and there's no force in the world- no, the _universe_- that can tear me away from you, I swear it." Turning her head to brush her lips across Konoka's own, she was unprepared for the girl to loop her arms about her neck, pulling her into a sweet, slow kiss.

Heart pounding in her ears, Setsuna felt pure, soft desire melt in the base of her belly, suffusing her with a gentleness she'd never felt before. Konoka moaned softly against her lips, and her hands slid up beneath the brunette's shirt, feeling her jump at the brush of cool fingers across warm skin. Konoka clutched at her, scraping fingernails against her scalp and pulling her ponytail loose, long hair spilling down across her back as the mage pushed their bodies closer, closer. Some small pain, mostly forgotten, that had been pulling deep inside the young mage since early morning eased now, leaving only sweeping, rushing pleasure to seethe in its place, washing through her blood like the incoming tide.

Slowly, gently, Setsuna broke the kiss, fighting down the aching urge to mesh their bodies together, melt into one, and lie here under the lazy sunlight of a Monday afternoon. "Kono-chan," she gasped, dragging in a breath that tasted of her love's desire, "we're at school, we'd better stop, if you kiss me again, I don't know what I might-"

Konoka, drowning in sensation that had been slowly building through a long, stressful day, ignored her and pounced, rocking the swordswoman back against the concrete.

"W-whoa!"

Throwing out a hand to steady herself, Setsuna found her body pressed against the rough ground, small pebbles poking her through her thin shirt, and Konoka straddling her hips. Looking up at the woman atop her, she felt her mouth go hot and dry at the sight of her Kono-chan, framed by golden afternoon light that simmered along her skin and gilded her hair with auburn highlights. Brown eyes pooled dark and delicious in a face backlit by the clearing sky, and Setsuna watched her pink tongue flick out to moisten soft, swollen lips, lips that mere moments ago had been a sweet pressure on her own. Forcing down the roaring in her blood, the quickening _want_ in her stomach, Setsuna opened her mouth to speak, and was silenced by a single, slender finger pressing gently against the curve of her lips.

"Shhh... don't say anything."

Slowly, the brunette slid forward, bringing her face to stop mere inches from Setsuna's own. Finger slipping from the swordswoman's mouth, tracing along her chin and down along her slender neck. Setsuna swallowed, incapable of speech. Soft brown hair cascaded over Konoka's delicate shoulders, swinging about her face in dark curtains, brushing against the half-demon's cheek as it pooled around them, casting cool shadows between them.

Gently, gently Konoka bumped the very tip of her nose against Setsuna's own, their faces very close in the small, dark circle her hair made about them. Distantly conscious of the rough concrete against her back, pressing against her concealed wings, the swordswoman nonetheless felt her awareness drawn away from her physical discomfort, and couldn't help but marvel at the promise in her Kono-chan's dark eyes.

"Set-chan..." whispered Konoka, voice soft and reverent, "_My_ Set-chan."

Shivering at the impact of those words, Setsuna swallowed down the pulse jumping in her throat.

"Close your eyes..."

Eyes fluttering closed obediently, the hanyou listened to the blood roaring in her ears as the brunette moved closer still, lips pressing against the hollow behind her right ear. A warm breath slid over her skin, making her feathers rustle, and the fine hair on the back of her neck stood up. Dropping a kiss on the pulse leaping in the swordswoman's taut neck, nerves stretched tight beneath soft skin, Konoka dipped her head, and in a sudden movement that made Setsuna arch against the concrete roof, body strung tight like a bowstring, swept her warm tongue below the collar of her shirt. Snagging a button with white teeth, she snapped the thin cotton, tugging the opening wider.

"Ah! Kono-chan- you _shouldn't_-"

"Sssh... I told you not to speak, Set-chan." Body pressed close enough against the swordswoman's own to send heat twisting down her lover's veins, Konoka shifted her weight, bringing her hands up to circle strong but dainty wrists, pressing pale hands back against the concrete. Angling her hips, Konoka dipped her head low once more, using her teeth to pull the buttons of Setsuna's borrowed shirt open with apparent ease.

_Mahora school uniforms are _far_ too flimsy_, was the swordswoman's last, somewhat dazed, thought; whatever else she had been thinking scattered across her mind like a handful of feathers caught in a sharp breeze as the young mage pressed a soft mouth against the curve of a breast. Bandages, wrapped around Setsuna's modest chest, stopped the heat of Konoka's mouth from soaking through to her flesh- but only just, and the recollection of just how hot that mouth could scorch against her own washed goosebumps over the hanyou's bare skin.

"Why are you wearing bandages, Set-chan? Don't you own a bra?"

"What?" blinking at the sudden change in subject, Setsuna struggled to sit upright, and found herself pinned quite effectively beneath her partner. Somehow, the taller girl had managed to hook her legs between the swordswoman's own, and was using her weight to render the smaller girl immobile. "Um, no. And why is that important?"

The brunette giggled, mischief colouring her voice. "I guess we'll just have to get you some new underwear- something pretty." Something more than mischief snuck into her words now, and her dark eyes glittered with intent. "I'd _like_ to see you in something pretty, Set-chan..."

The simmering desire in her blood spiked, sending sharp-edged pulses of aching, craving _want_ shuddering through her. Konoka smiled, only a touch evilly, as darkness flooded her lover's eyes, pupils white pinpricks in a sea of black. A sharp, gasping breath hissed between clenched teeth, and Setsuna fought to subdue the urges twisting and scratching beneath her skin.

_I want you. I _want_ you. You know it, I know it. Why then, why aren't you _beneath_ me?_

Scrunching her eyes tight, she tried to ignore the soft mouth trailing kisses across her bare stomach, tried to drown out the dark voice crowing triumph in her head.

_NO! This isn't... we're... goddamit, we're at _school_ and no matter that this feels so, so good-_

Konoka's warm tongue circled her navel, dipping into it with a soft flick, chasing kisses across her trembling waist-

-_we _shouldn't_ be doing this!_

-tongue dipping below the waist-band of her skirt, soft hair trailing across her skin in tickling waves, _need_ boiling under her skin where those warm lips pressed against her. A gasp slipped from her mouth before she could stop it, hands straining against the brunette's grip. Konoka giggled, the sound low and throaty, and inside Setsuna, the demon stirred, aching to make herself known.

_No. No. No. Not now. We need to _talk_ about this. Kono-chan- I want you so much, but we can't, so please just-_

"Stop," choked Setsuna, body humming with pleasure, some primitive part of her regretting the words as soon as they slipped from her mouth, "Please, Kono-chan, stop."

Konoka froze, lifting her head, hands going slack about Setsuna's wrists. "Set-chan? Is something wrong?"

The swordswoman dragged in a breath, drowning in the desire that flooded her veins, churning in her blood. Shakily, she wiped a hand across her face, struggling to compose herself.

"We need to talk about this, Kono-chan. We can't just...uh," trailed off Setsuna, horribly aware of the heat burning in her cheeks. Konoka, confused, shuffled off her hips and rocked back on her heels, pulling back her arms to wrap them about herself.

"But... I thought you _wanted_ to."

"I do!" blurted the swordswoman without thinking, swallowing down the shivering urge just to lie back down and pull her Kono-chan back on top of her, press that hot mouth against her own, and sink into the urges boiling in her blood. "Um, I mean... of course, I want to, Kono-chan. But... we can't."

"But... last night we-"

"Maybe I'm not being clear." Sitting up, Setsuna's fingers shook as she tried to button her shirt up. "We need to talk. About us. About, um, _sex_." The last word squeaked out, and she flinched to hear the nervousness in her own voice.

_Way to sound confident, Setsuna. You sound like a squeaky little teen talking about sex for the first time!_

_Wait..._

_I _am_ a squeaky little teen talking about sex for the first time! How the hell am I supposed to do this?!_

Lifting her head, she peered up at the brunette kneeling meekly before her. Konoka's face was pale, and her beautiful, dark eyes were dull with worry.

Her heart, pounding in her chest, slowed then; sweet affection stole through her, washing away the fear of hurting her loved one with the gentle surety that, if she expressed her feelings slowly and clearly, than _surely_ Konoka would understand.

Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands in her lap, steeling herself.

"Kono-chan... Konoka. I love you, and I want you too, very, very much. But... I am also your bodyguard, not just your partner. And as such, I'm responsible for your welfare. If anything ever happened to you, it would kill me. And although last night was wonderful, I don't... I don't think it was... _right._" Freezing even as the words slipped past her lips, Setsuna jerked her head, meeting Konoka's suddenly tearful eyes, arms flapping in panic. "Wait! Wait! I didn't mean it like that! Um, please don't cry, Kono-chan..."

Shuffling forward, the swordswoman pulled her love close, wrapping her arms about her as she stroked her back with a soothing motion. Smoothing her hand down soft, dark locks, she rested her head atop Konoka's, pressing a kiss against her hair.

"I didn't mean not right as in _wrong_, I meant not right in that I am your bodyguard, sworn to protect and guard you from all harm –physical, emotional, spiritual- regardless of any danger to myself or others. As such, I should place your well-being above all other things- including my own desires. Last night was a moment of weakness for me, ojou-sama. I allowed myself to give into the desire that has plagued me since I first realised I was in love with you; I allowed myself to give in to what I wanted, rather than adhere to my duty and place your needs above my own wants. I am, frankly, disgusted with myself." Scrunching her eyes shut, Setsuna felt her insides twist, but not with the heat that had racked her moments ago; now sick guilt churned in her gut and sped her heart until it pounded, painfully, each shuddering beat a reminder of her own faults. Sighing into Konoka's hair, silky strands a caress against her cheek, she squeezed her arms tighter, pulling the young woman closer even as every inch of her knew she should pull away.

"I swore to the shinemeiryuu, in word, blood and deed, that I would not fail you; I swore to your father that every breath I drew would be to ensure your safety. I have failed both those oaths, ojou-sama- and I have failed you."

As her words trailed off to silence, Setsuna shivered with the acknowledgement of what she had done. She had crossed a line no warrior ever should, and as duty and desire warped and blurred within her mind, she had fallen short of those lofty promises she had made so long ago.

"These past few months have been some wicked dream, Kono-chan; some sweet, haunting lure to tease me from my duty. I have let my love for you blind me to what I was becoming; it seems I am more demon than swordswoman now, if all I seek are my own wants. And although I don't regret it –believe me when I say that last night was beyond anything I could have hoped or dreamed for- I don't think it should happen again. If I am to retain my honour and fulfil the duty the shinmeiryuu assigned me as your vassal and guardian, I should not let my carnal desires rule me in lieu of my responsibilities."

Feeling Konoka stiffen in her arms, the half-demon waited for the accusations, the anger. Around her, the air seemed chilled, a stiff breeze ruffling her hair and blowing through the thin cotton of her shirt, setting her feathers to rustle and prickling her skin with goosebumps. Inside, she felt just as cold, if not colder; some icy hand squeezed her heart tight within its grip as she waited for her ojou-sama, her love and lady, her Kono-chan to speak.

Leaning back in the swordswoman's arms, the brunette faced her, colour high in cheeks flushed with anger.

"With all due respect, Set-chan, _fuck_ the shinmeiryuu!"

Mouth dropping in horror, Setsuna pulled back from the enraged brunette, whose dark eyes sparked with temper. "Kono-chan! You swore!"

"I'll swear if I god-damned want to! _Shit-bitch-whore-titties! How dare you! How bloody dare you!_" incensed, Konoka stabbed a single finger into the stunned swordswoman's chest, twisting it for emphasis. "Are you, or are you not, my girlfriend?" she demanded.

"Uh... y-yes?" stammered Setsuna, cowering in the face of such righteous fury.

Jabbing her finger into the space between ribs, the indignant brunette ignored the swordswoman's painful wince. "And as of last night, during the sex you seem so _determined_ to make sure never happens ever again, did you, or did you not, enter into a permanent pactio with me?"

Quailing before the woman she loved, Setsuna somehow managed to squeak out an answer. "...yes?"

"Then I say fuck your _duties_, you have to do what _I_ say because _I'm your partner_, and I say pull your head out of your _ass_ and get it into your thick skull that _we are in a relationship_! Yes, you are my bodyguard, the primary person responsible for my health and safety, yadda yadda yadda, but you are also –and above all else- _the woman I love_, and I will _not_ have you shoving aside your feelings and desires for what some old guy in a funny hat told you to throw your life away for ten years ago! _Got that?_"

Quivering with rage, beautiful eyes impassioned with fury akin to a raging forest fire, Konoka grabbed her girlfriend by the shoulders and shook her, startling Setsuna out of her stunned, pitiful trance.

"Set-chan, I love you. And I don't ever, _ever_ want to hear you talk about placing your duty above what we have, alright? Do you understand me, Set-chan?"

Nodding, head bowed and thoroughly ashamed of herself, Setsuna mumbled "yes m'm," in a broken, abashed voice.

_...once again I have found myself underestimating your feelings for me, Kono-chan. It was wrong of me to assume you would not be upset by this, and even more wrong of me to assume what I thought was the correct course of action. I don't know what I have done to have someone as kind and as forgiving as you enter my life, but whatever it was, I am grateful for your presence._

Taking in a shuddering breath, Setsuna swallowed down what could have been a sob- and found herself pulled forward into her love's arms.

"Shhh... it's okay, Set-chan. I know you were just trying to do what you thought was best. But what's best for me is what's best for _you_, and I don't want you to go back to the way you used to be, afraid to get close. We're together now, and from what we saw earlier with the pactio, we'll be together until the day we die. I don't need you as my bodyguard, Set-chan- I need you as my partner, my lover and my best friend."

Laying her head atop Setsuna's own, Konoka smoothed down jet-black hair that glowed with the slick blue highlights of crow feathers with gentle fingers. Wrapping her other arm around Setsuna's slender waist, she pressed their bodies close together in a tight embrace, and felt the smaller woman shake in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Kono-chan. I-"

"You don't need to say anything, Set-chan. I know you meant well."

Moving her hand to cup Setsuna's delicate chin, she tipped her head back smoothly, closing the small distance between them with a soft, loving kiss. Melting into her embrace, the swordswoman kissed back with equal passion, and circling her arms around Konoka's body, poured all her affection into the meeting of their lips.

In the distance, unnoticed and unacknowledged, the Mahora Magicians scored a home run with bases loaded, but the roaring of the jubilant crowd fell on deaf ears as the two young women sank into one another, oblivious to the world around them in favour of what they had found together.

* * *

**End Part Eight**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **...I kind wish this wasn't so dialogue heavy, but I feel I had a lot of important stuff to cover this chapter, so hopefully it all worked out. And there's more coming as soon as I stop drowning in assignments, so please, be patient for just a little _longer_...

(Profanities!Konoka- coming soon to a store near you! XD )

Sorry for the long wait, and thanks for sticking with _Egg Belly_ for so long!

Next Chapter: the author puts Negi in a skirt in an attempt to placate her readers. (no, really! XD )

(The button's down there. Go on. Make my day...)


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER**: Konoka and Setsuna are not mine. If they were, the series would be called Konoma, and Negi would be a confused ten-year old girl.

**PREFACE:** MERRY HANUKWANCHRISYULEMASTIDE AND A HAPPY NEW DECADE! Also, apologies for the wait. The holiday season has always been just a tad busy at best and with the addition of birthdays, weddings and the like, absolutely madcap this year. But! I have persevered and updated, so that's a good thing, right? Right?

(Cloverfield would like to remind her readers that any late-update grumpiness should not be taken out on the author, as imminent death from pointy things has a tendency to cause writer's block...)

(Also, it was her editor's fault. Not Cloverfield's, and all blame should be dealt squarely in said editor's direction.)

Thank you for the zillions of reviews, faves and alerts- you rock my socks like you wouldn't believe XD

(Seriously, 250+ reviews?! AWESOME!!!)

On with the show!

**

* * *

**

Egg Belly.

* * *

**Part Nine**

* * *

When Haruna finally made her way back to the dorms from afterschool detention –_who would've thought Negi of all people could be so damn vindictive-_ it was to find Nodoka and Yue talking to Asuna, the red-head fidgeting in the doorway of their shared room.

"-about six o'clock at Eva-chan's, yeah? Oh, Haruna. You finally got back from detention, hey?" grinning wickedly, the red-head slapped her on the back, above the right shoulder, sending a spasm of pain down the manga-ka's arm. Flinching as her aching fingers twitched –she'd written over a thousand repetitions of _I must not spread rumours about my classmate's love lives_ with that hand- the dark haired girl scowled in response.

Ignoring Asuna's cheekiness (the redhead ecstatic that, for once, it hadn't been _her_ in detention afterschool), Haruna turned her gaze to Nodoka, who flushed a guilty pink, dropping her head to hide behind her bangs.

"Uh, hello, Paru..." she squeaked, hands rubbing together nervously.

_Interesting. Shorty is trying to hide something._

"What's this about Eva-chan?"

"Um..." mumbled Nodoka, voice trailing off into nothing. Yue, bored expression flickering briefly across into exasperation and then into indifference, shrugged. "Negi-sensei has called a meeting of the Negi-gumi at Evangeline's resort tonight. Apparently, Konoka and Setsuna have an announcement to make, and they want everyone there to hear about it."

_Zing! _Haruna's enthusiasm, long since dampened by detention, lines and whatever else Negi could throw at her, crackled back into place. Shoving her glasses back onto her nose –their glinting flash bright enough to make the short philosopher shade her face- the mischievous artist grinned with unholy glee. "_Really?"_

"Yup. Everyone's to be there by six for the announcement," continued Asuna, blithely oblivious to the slow, evil gleam in Paru's eyes, "and dinner will be served afterwards. There's also going to be some more training exercises, so Negi says to bring wands and weapons, and to be prepared for artefact drills."

Dismissing the redhead's continued blathering in favour for imagining what havoc she could wreak at the gathering to come, Haruna shivered with delicious anticipation.

_Heh heh heh... you can shut me up in class, Negi-sensei, but just try and stop me tonight!_

The old, familiar tingle crept back up her arm now; fingers twitching in expectation, not pain, she knew that as soon as she got a pen in hand and sketchpad in front of her, the ideas were going to come thick and fast.

_I really have to hand it to you, Konoka and Setsuna; without you, I wouldn't have nearly as many ideas for my doujin. The least I can do to repay you for your... inspiration... is to show you what I've sketched out..._

Tuning back into the conversation around her, Haruna managed to push her dirty thoughts to the back of her mind and summon a somewhat-innocent countenance.

"-so I'm off to go let Kaede know. If you see Ku-chan, can you tell her for me? She wasn't in her room earlier, but I'm thinking she was just out getting snacks or something."

"Of course, Asuna-san. We'll let her know if we see her," murmured Nodoka, nodding her head with enough force to make her fringe quiver. Yue nodded her agreement also, unable to speak around a mouthful of juice, sucking on a straw protruding from the oddly-named container cupped in her hands.

"Okay. Thanks, guys. Well, see you tonight."

"Mm-hm." Mumbled Yue, engrossed in her peach and pickle juice.

"You bet," chirped Haruna happily, missing the puzzled look her fellow librarians shot in her direction. "We'll be there, right on time!" clapping Asuna across the shoulders hard enough to make her knees wobble –her not-so-subtle revenge for her vigorous back-slapping earlier- the bespectacled manga-ka grinned cheesily, antennae fairly twitching in excitement. Nodoka squeaked as Haruna's hand suddenly snaked about her shoulders, pulling her in close to the taller girl's chest. Yue, juice box knocked from her hands as she was gripped in a similar manner, frowned as her head was squished unceremoniously into the side of Haruna's breasts, each considerably larger than both her own.

"O-kay..." said Asuna slowly, thinking that perhaps it was a good time to head off to Kaede's mountain abode, since that particular smirk on Haruna's smug face usually foreboded trouble. Doing her best to ignore the fear in Nodoka's eyes, the red-head backed away from the maniacally-grinning manga-ka and waved hesitantly as she left.

_There is something seriously wrong with that girl._

8888888

As the members of the Negi-gumi shimmered into being upon the enchanted tiles that bore the entrance sigils to Evangeline's Resort, the balmy air of a tropical twilight greeted them. Stars, brilliant specks of blue light against the black velvet of heavenly firmament glowed above them; the faint breeze carried the heavy perfume of frangipani and lotus with the faintest, sweetest underscore of ripening fruit. Lit torches lined the narrow bridge, throwing sparks into the falling night, illuminating a path towards a collection of Balinese grass-roofed huts and villas.

"Huh. Eva's gone troppo," muttered Asuna, ignoring the sarong-clad Chachamaru sister proffering fruit cocktails.

"Ooh, I'll have one of those," cooed Haruna, scooping three from the tray and thrusting one each into Nodoka's and Yue's hands.

"Um, Paru, I'm fairly sure these are alcoholic-"

"All the better to start the party rocking, bookstore! Yue, drink up- you like weird drinks and stuff, you should get a kick out of these!"

"...I think I'll just stick with my juice-box, thank you."

Ignoring the commotion amongst the members of the Library Exploration Club, Mana sighed, dumping her satchel into the hands of another Chacha-clone and tossing back her dark hair.

"Remind me again, why it was deemed I had to be here? Everyone knows I've never been a member of the Negi-gumi, nor do I aspire to, so I see no reason in why I should sacrifice my time to come play happy families with you lot." The dusky beauty forced down a twitch as her left hand jerked (to the holster that was currently missing from the small of her back) at the warm voice that purred out of the tropical darkness behind her left ear.

"This one thinks that Mana-dono is far too uptight and should just take the opportunity to unwind presented to her, and if that opportunity should include socialising with this one, than why not?"

Kaede, oozing charm, smiled sweetly at the cocoa-skinned shrine maiden, who wasn't having a bar of the ninja's unctuous enthusiasm.

"I think someone's been into the suspicious fruit drinks already. Stay the hell away from me, Kaede."

"But, Mana-dono, that is no _fun..."_

Slanted eyes gleaming with enthusiasm, Kaede smirked, expression fading from questionable innocence to slick, suggestive mischief. Mana, wise to the somewhat disturbing shift in the lanky ninja's mood, backed up a step, dark eyes flashing with contempt.

"I'll shoot you. I really will. In the face."

"You have no guns, Mana-dono. This one thinks that you're all bark and no _bite_- for tonight at least, de gozaru yo."

This time, it was the sniper-turned-shrine maiden that sneered, brushing past Kaede with an arrogant toss of her head, dark hair brushing against the ninja's cheek in an unintentional caress.

"Just because I don't have any firearms, doesn't mean I'm _unarmed_, Kaede. You'd do well to remember that."

Watching Mana stalk off, slow heat crept into the kunoichi's gaze as her eyes flicked across the dark woman's shapely form.

"That is true, de gozaru yo. Most _certainly_ so, this one thinks..."

Behind the star struck ninja, the school's resident paparazzi grinned at the tropical layout. Asakura stood with camera raised, frantically _click_ing away as she surveyed the lush jungle in the steamy depths below the platform. Northwards, starlight glimmered in flecks of dancing light in the fine particles of mist that cloaked an immense waterfall, causing shimmering rainbows to float in the haze of water above the bluest, deepest lagoon Eva's magic could conjure. Dusky twilight framed a rapidly setting sun, orange sunbeams flared across glossy treetops, flashing out in slashes of dying umber light before the rainforest was plunged into inky darkness.

"Cool. She totally went all tropical island on us. Pity this isn't real though." Torch light glinted off the longest camera lens that Sayo had ever seen- although, considering she was a ghost and had only been introduced to the finer nuances of photography some fifty years after her death, this wasn't saying much. The schoolgirl spirit was pearlescent against the darkening sky, the smoky essence of her body swirling in excitement as she floated about Kasumi's shoulders, orange sash proclaiming her a member of the press club, admittedly post-mortem, and although she was not capable of holding a camera, her enthusiasm was welcomed by the other, living member of the club, and more than made up for her inability to contribute physically.

Lowering her camera, Kazumi tipped her head back and shot her ghostly friend a lopsided smile. "I got a good feeling about tonight, Sayo- I just know we're gonna get a great scoop! Heh, I knew those girls were up to something when they skipped class, and I refuse to believe that Paru was just spreading rumours- that nose never lies!"

"I hope it all works out for you, Kazumi-san; I think this could be a brilliant article."

Smiling, the shy ghost attempted a high-five gesture, failing miserably when her hand passed through the red-haired paparazzo's own, though the gesture was appreciated none the less.

On the other side of the long platform, Chisame, alone amongst the groups and gaggles meandering towards the lit up buildings ahead, simply shook her head and wondered, not for the first time, what particular sin she had committed to earn this hell.

_I hate them all, so very much. I could be at home blogging, but nooo, the school's resident lesbians want to have a party. What the hell happened to personal things staying personal? People who live in glass houses should always wear clothes._

Pausing briefly to polish her glasses as the others brushed past her, jostling her knapsack, she grimaced, gritting her teeth as she slammed her spectacles back into place, before stalking towards the buildings in a huff.

_May as well get this over and done with. I hate this school._

Ku Fei, accompanied by an excited Kotaro, nibbled absently on a slice of crusty baguette, shaking her head at the dog-boy's excited sniffing. The young inu-hanyou couldn't stop his ears from twitching in anticipation at the smells coming forth from the long house before them- he could scent all manner of roast meats and spices as he drew closer, and it was hard enough not to break into a run and leave his silk-clad companion behind.

"Doesn't that smell good, Ku Fei-ne-san?"

The Chinese girl, unusually unenthusiastic, shrugged. "Lately I am tired of Asian food, yes. I would like nice soufflé, perhaps."

Shaking his head, shaggy hair sliding over his shoulders, Kotaro glanced ahead, clapping eyes on an appropriately attired Negi, waiting at the entrance to the largest hut beside the mistress of the resort, her blonde hair piled up and laced with strings of flowers.

Waving at a somewhat abashed boy-teacher, Kotaro barked with laughter. "Hey Negi! What's with the skirt?"

Frowning, Negi coughed into a fist. "It's a sarong, Kota-kun, and well you know it. Master said I had to dress like this." Looking down at his bare chest –scarcely hidden beneath a neck-plate of burnished copper embossed with flowers and glinting in the shifting torchlight- and floral-patterned wrap, the young mage sighed. "As... uh, _nice_ as it is, I'd rather be back in my suit..."

Evangeline, similarily dressed, smiled with malicious glee, tucking a stray blossom behind her right ear.

"My house, my rules, boya. You wanted to hold your little shindig here, and I was kind enough to provide the refreshments, the least you can do is wear what I want for the evening, hmm? That, and provide for me my night-cap." Here the waif-like blonde grinned, showing a gleaming flash of fang, looking more like Negi's little sister than his vampire master.

Negi shuddered. "Yes, master..."

Turning to face the gathering group, the diminutive vamp swept a hand behind her, drawing attention to the billowing gauze curtains that framed a feast, spread out across wooden tables on raised platforms that groaned under the weight of laden dishes.

"Dinner's up, ladies- and gents," added Eva, nodding in the direction of a still-chuckling Kotaro, "but before we eat, two of your number have something they wish to talk to you about. I'll leave it up to them to explain why you've been called here tonight, kiddies; I'm just here to enjoy the floor show." Turning to the communal dining table, adorned with polished plates and cutlery, their vampiric host sashayed into her chair –naturally the most impressive at the table- her sarong clinging to her slender frame. Behind the dining table and the food stood the couple in question, nervous expressions at odds with the tropical finery they'd found themselves adorned with upon arriving at the villa early that afternoon.

"Um... hello everyone." Smile just a touch shaky, Konoka waved hesitantly at her classmates. Beside her, Setsuna sweated by a large torch, the slight sheen to her forehead unrelated to the warm atmosphere.

There was a heartbeat of silence in which the couple and the crowd assessed one another, and although she was draped in a colourful wrap, the young swordswoman felt quite naked under her classmate's thoughtful stares, and the occasional camera flash from Asakura's direction.

"So _this_ is where you two ran off to this afternoon, Konoka!" exclaimed Haruna, steeping up onto the platform, startling everyone out of their reverie. "You know, the girls and I went looking for you everywhere when you didn't show up for the library club meeting this afternoon." Grinning, the mangaka shook her head slyly. "Cutting class. You're the headmaster's grand-daughter- how shameful."

Konoka giggled, relieved as the tension broke, her friends spilling forth to surround her and Setsuna, tossing questions back and forth.

"Please guys, one at a time. Look, why don't we all dig in to the spread Eva-chan's put on for us. Set-chan and I have got something to tell you all, and it'll go down better on a full stomach."

Kotaro, already nose deep in a platter of juicy barbecued pork, ears twitching in greedy glee, snorted. "Way ahead of ya, ane-san. I'm just here for the food."

"Kota-kun! Don't be rude!" admonished Negi as he picked out a platter for Evangeline, the diminutive vamp clearly abusing her power as she ordered him to and fro across the buffet with lazy hand gestures, "At least wait till everyone's sat down before you start eating!"

Chuckling at her friends, Asuna slung her arms about Konoka and Setsuna's shoulders –the latter somewhat startled by the affectionate gesture. "You don't have to tell me twice guys. Now, which way to the drinks, hmm?"

* * *

"-so, in summary, the ojou-sama and I are no longer Negi-sensei's partners, and due to the permanent pactio which we spontaneously entered, neither of us can ever again enter into a pactio contract with anyone else." Setsuna paused, blowing a strand of dark hair from her face with a huffed breath. Beside her, Asuna smirked, cheerfully delving into a mountainous heap of fried rice with peanut shrimp. On her right, Konoka smiled serenely up at her, brown hair swept up into a bun, leaving soft locks to curl about her face. Tossing her head back to clear her view, the young mage laid down her chopsticks, and stood, taking Setsuna's hand. The swordswoman felt heat snake up her neck, flushing her cheeks, glancing down at the soft, warm fingers tangled with her own.

_Even now, even in front of our friends... I would be embarrassed so easily. Huh. Some cool, collected warrior I am._

"That's all there is to it, guys. I think all of you knew we were a couple, but this isn't just some schoolgirl crush we've got here- this is the real deal, and we'd like to ask for your support." Konoka's voice rang with surety alien to her image as the airheaded heiress of Mahora- the quiet determination in russet eyes echoed a decision recently made but no less powerful for all that it was newly sworn.

"Set-chan and I are partners now and forever. No one, and I mean _no one_, is going to take that from us."

Evangeline, seated at the head of the table, directly opposite from the couple in question felt the faint tracing of _power_ underlying those words hum along her skin. The merest trickle of magical intention laced Konoe Konoka's words- so little, so subtly that she doubted the girl even knew she was doing it. But the consequences, unknown or otherwise, could not be escaped through ignorance.

"Even so, I'd appreciate it if Daddy didn't hear about this just yet... and that goes for my grandfather too. Until Set-chan and I figure out how to break the news to them, it'd be best if we could keep our being partners –and a couple as well- from them. So we're relying on you guys to be hold your tongues for us, okay? And that means you too, Paru."

"_Hey! I can keep secrets as good as anyone else can!"_

Ignoring the manga-ka's protests and the wave of laughter they spurred, the magus nosferatu leant forward in her seat, resting her chin in her palm. Unnoticed by the children arrayed before her, but felt all too keenly in her hyperaware senses, the ripples caused by the brown-haired woman standing at the foot of her table swept through the aether in shimmering waves. Her words, an oath unknown to its orator, were magically binding, and from the amount of intent the young mage had unconsciously poured into them, the magic that seethed between the pair, the very pactio that bound them, would stop at _nothing_ to make that involuntary desire reality.

_How stupid of me not to see it before. No wonder the halfbreed's blood tasted strange. If I'd at least considered the possibility, I probably wouldn't feel like such a moron now for not noticing. _Chuckling bitterly at her own failings, she closed her eyes briefly, not noticing the quizzical look Negi shot her way, before losing himself in the cheerful banter of his comrades.

_Six hundred years old, and still a child, _mused the diminutive blonde, stirring up the monster that slept beneath her skin. _Well, at least things are going to get interesting when _this_ hits the fan... Wonder if Eishun will have a heart attack and choke on his own blood when he finds out his daughter's all but married off now...?_

Her gaze narrowed, and she resisted the urge to shiver as her eyes pooled black with the rise of her vampiric instincts. The world, laid out before her all-too-human gaze in barely lucid colour, sharpened and exploded into vivid luminosity as she shifted from her weak, mortal senses, shedding just a fraction of the human glamour that reigned in her more otherworldly aspects.

_Ah. Let's see, shall we...?_

_Ribbons. _Ribbons, _thousands_ of them, scarlet all, binding the girls together from head to feet, winking in and out of existence, threading through their auras, their edges blurring together in a silken net of scintillating colour. As Konoka laughed at an off-handed comment from Asakura that caused Setsuna to flush an ugly red, the threads that wound the girls together hummed with emotion, causing flaring colours to spike through the rioting haze that cloaked them.

Focusing her _sight_ to push past the superficial reality that lay beneath the first level of magical perception, the world before Eva blurred once more, darkening considerably as the colours of the girls before her –and, indeed the children around her- could no longer be seen.

Fine droplets of sweat beaded along her hairline as she pushed harder, peeling through the veils of reality as sunlight through mist, her vision blurring as she strained to hold the reality of the world around her distinct from her impressions of the young women before her.

_This would be so much easier if I weren't trying to do this in my resort and didn't needed to continuously dedicate a portion of my magic to maintaining this illusion. Why in the nine hells did I decide on a freaking multi-levelled castle! A hut would've done for- uhn._

Blood roaring her ears, body stiff and distant, she grunted and pushed harder, divorcing her perception from the world her primary senses tried to insist was all that existed, and focusing on the ephemeral truth buried beneath all of the layers of existence accumulated about the two girls-

_Oh- this is harder than I thought- Ahh-!_

The vision before her shuddered into brief, illuminating clarity, flickering into a concise image for a bare moment, just enough for her to glean tantalising insight into the deepest nature of the two women before her, before streams of darkness bled into her vision, and the tremendous strain of holding open her inner eye whilst ensuring the illusion about them held back-lashed violently, sending the veils slamming back into place with enough force to send her slender body reeling.

"_Holy crap!_ _Eva-chan!"_

"_Master!"_

"_What's going on-?!"_

_No- Just a moment more- _

Body burning with magical backlash, the vampire shrieked and jerked like a woman possessed, eyes rolling back in her head as black fire blistered across her skin, throwing her back into her chair with enough enough force to shake the table. Her girlish body spilt onto the floor, and long skeins of blonde hair fell loose to tangle about her childish face, contorted with unimaginable agony as she burned in her own, uncontrollable power overload.

* * *

Negi, nearest to her, dropped his plate with a thunderous _crack_, scattering rice over the silken tablecloth, and knocking over chairs as he rushed towards her convulsing figure. Ripping the tablecloth from beneath the scattered dishes, the boy-teacher smothered the flickering flame consuming the arching body of his host.

Crouching down, he pulled back the ruined cloth to reveal unblemished skin- though the thrashing, jerking motions of Eva indicated she still scorched, but on the inside, where he could do little to aid her. "Master!" jerking his head, metal chest-plate jingling, he snapped at the silent, feminine figure of an attendant Chacha-clone. "Why aren't you helping her?!"

In response, the gyynoid opened her mouth to speak- before wavering in erratic lines, body flickering like an un-tuned television set. The ground around her feet rippled, wooden floorboards splintering as a wave buckled them, smashing the buffet table, food sloshing onto the floor in a steaming wave. Nodoka shrieked as her chair exploded into a cloud of splinters, shredding the edge of the table cloth- tackled to the ground by a quick-thinking Kotaro, she escaped mostly unharmed, but dozens of bloody scratches lined the arms the librarian threw up to protect her face.

"You okay, ne-san?"

"Uh-uh-uh," whimpered Nodoka, shivering at the thin trickles of blood drizzling from her elbows, dripping onto the warped floor with a delicate _plink-plink-plink_.

"Everyone! Get back!" snapped Mana, nodding at Kaede and Ku Fei as both women slammed their chairs back. Stepping up to the heavy, oaken table, the three braced themselves as it flickered and shimmered under their hands. "Setsuna, get the others out of here!"

The half-demon, jerked out of her haze of disbelief by Mana's words, nodded, pushing the other girls towards the stone bridge that led to the gateway. Alone amongst the fixtures around them, it remained solid as the world buckled and warped.

_Can't hold it- ah- too much-_

Clutching her head, the diminutive vampire jerked, frothing blood foaming over her chin, shivering frame convulsing in Negi's arms, the boy mage agape as the dining room collapsed in dissolving, warping skitters of magic, the very fabric of the illusionary world haemorrhaging around them in twists and turns of bleeding, melting colour.

"_Negi! Get the hell out of there!"_ screamed Asuna, snatching at his ornate collar and dragging the shell-shocked teen behind her with a jangle as the members of the Mahora Security patrol upended the dining table, sending cutlery and plates shattering across the twisted floor.

Towing Nodoka along behind him, Kotaro grabbed Yue by the arm and fled for the bridge, Chisame and Haruna hurrying in his wake, Sayo writhing in panic about Asakura's shoulders as she fled (although, even in abject terror, she still managed to raise her ever-present camera and snap a few pictures for her yearbook). Setsuna scooped Konoka into her arms as her wings flared loose, tearing her sarong into loose shreds of floral-patterned fabric hanging from her slender frame, and bowled over the few remaining chairs with a cyclonic gust from snapping wings mere moments before they, too, shattered- clouds of fast-dissolving splinters bursting open like fireworks.

Her lover clutched tight, she soared upright in a sharp streak of movement, feathers scattering from snowy wings as she climbed higher. Asuna, still dragging a bewildered Negi onto the stone platform, shouted something up at them- her words were snatched from her mouth as soon as she spoke, whisked away by the wind that whipped about her slender figure.

Before them, a shudder of smoky, black magic oozed from the buckling, twisting resort, pulsing in time with some unseen rhythm. Pounding her wings to keep her steady, unembarrassed by the fact she was clad in only her underwear and a few shreds of fabric, Setsuna hovered above the focal point of the destruction, long hair blowing into her face.

_The wind's drawn towards it. Implosion? But, all of us can't leave here for at least another twenty-something hours! If any of us gets pulled in... I'm fairly certain that myself, Negi, Kotaro and Asuna would probably survive... and Sayo, since she's already dead anyway... but if Kono-chan or any of the others-_

**CRACK! **_**ZZZ-ZHOOOM!**_

Something akin to a bullet zipped past the half-demon with enough force to buckle her wings, and the air thrashed into raging gusts as it poured into the vacuum left by its wake; bowled over in mid-air, Setsuna tumbled, Konoka screaming in her ears, pinions askew, missing the stone platform by a scant handful of inches, and plummeted towards the rapidly-dissolving rainforest below.

Half-glimpses snatched through her fluttering feathers as she fell told Setsuna she had not, in fact been hit by a self-guided missile; the object streaking towards the flash point as the world trembled and shred around them was Chachamaru, the original, turbo-boosters engaged and aero-fins smoking as she exploded through the entrance to the resort, screaming towards her master in a streak of burning, liquid speed.

_Ah. Eva's gonna be okay._

Bundling her arms about her Kono-chan –so warm, so tight against her- she tucked in her wings as best she could, her left pinion bent at a somewhat uncomfortable angle, falling too fast now to have a hope of regaining height without shredding her wings, angled herself as best she could to slow their descent-

-and tumbled into a net of air and magic, held aloft by her teacher, the boy straining just a little on the edge of the stone platform, enchantment glowing about him in brief glimmers as illuminated words poured into the air itself. Asuna stood with hand on his shoulder, eyes squinted tight as the net about Konoka and Setsuna became a cupped hand, gentle as a mother's touch.

"That was a close one, Setsuna-san! Now, stay still- it's a little tricky with the wind, and I wouldn't want you to fall again-"

A shuddering _thoom_ shook him then, shook them all, roaring right through blood and viscera with a bone-jarring crunch as the resort, crumpling under the weight of Eva's magical backlash, exploded; shards of wood like jagged spears screamed through the air-

"_Kekai!"_

A dome, glistening, swelled into existence at the very last moment; the spears of wood clattered uselessly against it, exploding into smoky wisps of aether upon contact. Yue, wobbling just a little unsteadily on one knee, sighed in relief. Bands of magic blossomed from the tip of her wand, weaving around the group as the maelstrom seethed around them.

"Ah, Negi-sensei- a little help here?" grunted the apprentice mage, sweat dripping down her face as her arms shook with the effort of holding the barrier around the bridge and corresponding airspace. Although the spears of wood thrown from the initial explosion had disappeared, lashing winds howled around their small bubble of safety. Coalescing about the epicentre as the raw enchantment that held the illusion together splintered, raging, seething energy blistered in whips and thrashes of air and inky, dark enchantment, stunning those watching.

"Whoa, go Yuetchi!" cheered Asuna, crossing over to the main group of girls. A smattering of applause broke out amongst her spectators, and Yue smiled weakly.

"Um- thank you, I guess-"

"_Whoo! Way to save our collective asses, Yue!"_ whooped Haruna, fist pumping the air. Beside her, Chisame sighed and covered her face. "I am _so_ ashamed to be your classmate."

"-but what I'd really like would be for you to help me out here, sensei," whispered the young mage, azure hair soaked with sweat. Arms trembling, her pleading eyes flicked across to her teacher. _"Please."_

"Oh! Of course, Yue- I'll be there presently. Um." Pausing awkwardly, shielding his eyes from magical glare with a free hand, the boy teacher seemed to hesitate. "Setsuna-san... I can't maintain this net and help Yue with the barrier, and since whatever is happening to master seems to be somewhat more dangerous than your current situation-"

"Right. Go help Yue, sensei- I can get us out of this." Standing, somewhat uneasily considering her platform consisted of air and not much else, the half-demon snapped her wings out in a flurry of feathers. Her scattered plumage floated in the still air of Yue's barrier, but already the thin, wispy breeze snatched at her tattered clothes. Konoka, still protectively wrapped in her partner's arms, squeaked as she was scooped up once more. Crouching, the swordswoman flapped her wings expectantly. The brunette clasped to her body tucked her head into the curve of Setsuna's neck, closing her eyes against a sudden flare of wind from the surging magic around their vampiric classmate.

"_Uh- sensei- I don't think I can hold it much longer!"_ Yue, trembling, felt her arms dip as the barrier she so tenuously controlled seemed to waver before her eyes. Sweat dripping from her eyelashes, the azure-haired mage battled to stay upright as dizziness swept over her-

-only to feel warm arms wrap about her, Nodoka's gentle hands sliding across her own, slender fingers reaching to grip her wand. Coarse bandages -strips from the sleeves of Kotaro's shirt, torn by an enterprising Mana- crisscrossed her arms, her head resting on Yue's trembling shoulder.

"I've got you, Yue. I won't let you fall," whispered the librarian, shy eyes aflame with determination as she knelt behind the quivering girl, pressing their bodies together. Ignoring the heat that flooded her with that simple contact, Yue shivered, and felt her thin hold on her magic strengthen a little.

"We can hold it, Yue- just a little longer..." Turning her head with a sweep of her violet hair against a soft cheek, Nodoka shot a worried glance at her teacher.

"Um, Negi...? Now would be goo-"

A sharp _crack_ of air snatched her words, deadened them as the roiling, hazy magic streaming from the twisting chaos that once was Evangeline's resort sent a blast of slashing wind towards the fragile barrier surrounding them; the thin magic shimmered and warped like a heat haze as gusts and gales assailed it. Sayo, writhing in wispy panic about a shuddering group of girls -Asakura, Haruna and Chisame huddled behind the stoic figures of Asuna, Kotaro, Mana, Ku Fei and Kaede- whispered prayers in a dusty voice.

Thin lines creaked across the _kekai_, streams of air hissing through splintering enchantment as the world shook anew with deep, bass rumbles.

**THOOOOOOM!**

"_Sensei... I c-can't hold it,"_ gasped Yue, eyes rolling back in her head, slumping into Nodoka's trembling arms, wand slipping from numbing fingers-

Negi, face ashen, blood pounding in his ears, felt himself turn in slow motion to see her thin sceptre tumble through the air in a delicate arc, _clink_ing end-over-end onto the stone floor-

And as Nodoka screamed, high-pitched and wavering, the barrier glistened and trembled like buckling glass-

"Negi! Move it! _Now!_" Shouted Setsuna, Konoka anxious in her arms-

**CRACKKK-KK-KK... KKK-KKK-KK-K-K-K...**

"Ah, crap," said Chisame, hair streaming in the sharp gusts pouring through the dozens of fragmenting wounds shuddering across the _kekai_, "we're all gonna di-"

_**KKKKZZZZSSHHHHRACK!**_

And as shards of splintering, shattering magic sliced through the air as flashing knives, Negi exploded into motion, sarong tearing, chest-plate jangling, bare feet sliding across stone slick with sweat, hands up and moving in arcane motions even as the web of magic that held Konoka and Setsuna safe dissolved into nothing. The half-demon burst into flight with an almighty sweep of snowy wings, quills whipped across the breeze as she soared upwards, lashed and buffeted by thrashing winds, Konoka's fingernails digging small points of pain into her pale skin as the trembling woman clutched at shoulders that undulated with muscle.

Negi screamed words of power, falling from his lips in flashes and sparks of glimmering symbols, coalescing into eddies of enchantment swirling across the narrow platform as he ran, spinning into arcs of magic that skittered across the girls huddling behind the grim-faced members of the Mahora Security Patrol, and rippled across their skin in a rush of enchantment that set Kotaro's ears pricking.

Streaking downwards like a feathered arrow, Setsuna slipped through the barrier that rose with Negi's hands with barely a moment to spare; the boy-mage standing, teeth-grit, in the eye of the storm that roared about them all. Yue, unconscious, moaned- chill sweat slipping across her skin to soak into Nodoka's shirt as she shuddered in exhaustion, the shy librarian's face pinched with worry.

"Holy shit," said Haruna, staring over Mana's tanned shoulder as the girl crouched before them. "What the _hell_ is happening to Eva?"

"This one thinks whatever it is, it isn't good," murmured Kaede, lanky form braced protectively in front of the girls that thronged behind her. "_Merde_," hissed Ku Fei, flinching as another explosion sent plumes of smoky aether into the howling gusts with a sharp burst of writhing blackness. "Chachamaru be okay, yes?"

Setsuna, crouched near her teacher, set Konoka down gently. Legs shaking a little as she stood, unsteady but unbowed, the swordswoman accepted Asuna's hand with gratitude as her battered wings shed feathers like shredded snow.

"Negi...? Is Eva-chan gonna be okay?"

"I honestly don't know, Asuna. We just have to have faith that Chachamaru knows what she's doing..."

Stunned and awestruck, Kasumi felt her arms raise of their own accord, her camera ascending slowly. Her fingers slid across the button for the shutter hesitantly, and even open-mouthed in the face of disaster, she couldn't stop herself from pressing it with a sharp flare of the automatic flash.

_Click._

"Asakura, I really don't think now is the time!"

"Sorry Sayo... I couldn't stop myself..."

Closer to the edge of the precipice, Konoka dashed to her friends -somewhat awkwardly with only one sandal, the other lost somewhere in the swirling chaos below- and fell to her knees beside a panicking Nodoka. Hands fluttering nervously, the shy librarian cupped her unconscious companions face, blue eyes wide and tearful. "Konoka, you've got to do something! Please, save Yue!"

"I'll do what I can." Dark eyes determined, the young mage pushed her hair away from her face, and reached into the folds of her sarong... only to find that her pactio card was not there, and, in fact, didn't exist.

_No-! I can't summon my artefact anymore!_

Chewing on her bottom lip as her fingers closed on empty air, she glanced back over to her former magister, the boy-teacher stubbornly holding back the raging force of Evangeline's magical self-destruction, aided by a stony-faced Kotaro, whose shadow inugami wove thick bands of darkness around and through the layers of protective enchantment surrounding them all.

_I'm not Negi's partner anymore. I'm not a real mage. Without my artefact, there's no way I'm powerful enough to heal her. I can't help her..._

Desperation flitted across Nodoka's face, chased by deeper despair as Yue groaned, cheeks flushed with heated colour against skin pale as chalk. Smoothing fingers across a high forehead glistening with sweat, and down over a hot face scrunched in pain, the librarian flinched as her dear friend groaned once more, the sound low and aching. "_Please_, Konoka- do something, _anything_!"

Flinching, Konoka turned her head away from the figure of her auburn-haired tutor- and shivered as her eyes flicked over to Setsuna. The half-demon, wings in disarray from the buffeting winds, lifted her head, locking her gaze with her lover. Irises like burning magnesium scorched Konoka, seared her with white heat to the very bone; that dear and determined countenance -so fierce, so unwavering- cast off sparks into the arcane possibility that lay dormant within the depths of the young woman kneeling before her wounded companions, and as a torch to the kindling of a great fire, set her alight.

_Power_, the likes of which the young mage had never known existed in all of creation, bubbled up from the wellspring inside as an unstoppable force, flooding her veins, her _blood_ with hot, sweetly-surging force; Konoka shuddered, eyes closed, head thrown back in something akin to ecstasy as light seethed and roiled beneath her skin, casting writhing shadows of luminous, glittering magic across the stone platform.

"_Ah-!"_

Nodoka, awestruck, covered her face with trembling hands as light _rippled_ across the air in surging waves, sinking into her skin as rain into parched soil, and the air grew heavy with the scent of dew steaming from grass in summer heat. Yue gasped soundlessly, back arching as radiance slipped across her body in a silken caress, soothing the wounds of exhaustion that blistered her spirit, and left her peacefully asleep in the lap of her closest friend. Nodoka could do little more than gape in awe as luminescence washed in shimmering rays across those gathered, bathing them in sundrenched warmth, chasing away tiredness and easing the sting of unnoticed wounds. Holding out her arms, she felt her mouth go slack as the blood spotting her bandages vanished, and peeled off rough cloth to reveal smooth, unblemished skin.

A dozen metres away from them, Setsuna shivered, wings flaring wide and as white as sunlit snow fields. Eyes closed, she sighed in pleasure and spread her arms. Her glamour melted into nothingness in the face of such power, exposing pale flesh sun-kissed and pearlescent, pigment bleeding from her hair to leave luminescent, soft locks to slide across bare shoulders.

_Kono-chan... this feels so _good_..._

Glittering, shimmering sparks coalesced around the kneeling figure of Konoe Konoka, and spiked with the intensity of a solar flare; her classmates shielded watering eyes against the burning light that wrapped her shapely body, and with a sudden flash redolent of the rising sun, lifted her up, small feet dangling inches above the ground.

"_Oriru,"_ she whispered, and her voice, although soft, resounded with fervour; those few syllables echoed in the minds of all present long after the words themselves had faded into silence amidst the howling wind. Delicate hands rose of their own accord, and in a burst of power, drew the light pooling around her into a glistening disc of burnished gold, shimmering between her slender fingers in a haze of heat and power.

"_Yata no Kagami..._ Amaterasu's mirror," breathed Mana, the shrine maiden buried beneath the cold-hearted mercenary staring in awe at one of the greatest treasures of her faith in the hands of her classmate. "No-one but the royal family have seen it for _centuries_! Where could she have _found_...?"

The reverence of her tone sent shivers through her classmates; Mana was known for being inappropriate and unimpressed by almost everything, and to see her so struck a chord in the girls gathered on the narrow platform as they turned to the young woman wreathed in incandescent brilliance before them.

Konoka, drifting in eddies of swirling, magnificent luminescence, lifted her hands; the polished mirror between her fingers gleamed in the shifting light. Arms raised, hair a soft nimbus around her sweet face, her fingertips brushed the shining surface of her artefact with the merest, lightest breath of a caress-

-and summoned a flash of sudden, blinding illumination that left burning after-shadows to blister the eyelids of those watching.

"_Mon dieu!_" hissed Ku Fei, peering through thin, tanned fingers. "Eyes _hurt_. Whatever going on, I not like."

Kotaro, wreathed in shadows that seemed to melt away under the blistering light sweeping across the platform, cringed back from the sudden flash, ears flattened. "Uh, Negi, you _might_ want to take a look at this..."

On the precipice, preoccupied with holding the barrier intact against the maelstrom rampant about them, the boy wizard turned at the inuhanyou's prompting and felt his jaw drop in disbelief.

_Okay, I knew Konoka-san was powerful, but this... this really takes the wicket._

Moving her hands across the smooth surface of her mirror in sinuous motions reminiscent of a dancer's gestures, the young woman pulled ribbons of light from the magic swirling about her, which settled atop her sarong in silken strands of glowing luminance, coalescing into long, drifting sleeves and layered robes. Soft cloth, cut from the very fabric of the sunkissed dawn, settled over slender limbs in folds of shimmering radiance; delicate designs drifted through the rich layers in lazy patterns of sunlit swirls and loops.

Resplendent now in dazzling kimono that blazed in all the shifting colours of sunlight, Konoka, moved by power unfathomable, floated higher. The delicate disc of shining metal clutched lightly between glowing fingertips began to spin with the slow gravity of a celestial body, light twisting and bending around its shimmering facade, blazing streaks of sunlight rippling over the metal as it turned in gentle revolutions.

The beams of light radiating from the mirror's polished surface skittered and leapt over the girls of the Negi-gumi, Kotaro and the boy-teacher himself in brilliant arcs of glowing illumination, gaining increasing speed with each dazzling arc. Setsuna made a bird-like noise in the back of her throat, feathers ruffling as she threw herself into the air with lazy abandon, drifting towards her magus with languid sweeps of her wings. Eyes closed, she landed neatly before the hovering figure of Konoka, caught up in the rush of magic seething about the brunette, suffusing the air with a tincture of summer heat.

Amaterasu's mirror flashed, brighter now, fluid incandescence pooling across its gilded surface; the light gathering around the young mage deepened in intensity, tracing heat-warped shadows to dance across the eyes of those watching.

The swordswoman at her feet crouched, eyes glazed, white wings snapping out to fan the air, bowing her head in a gesture of utter subservience. Asuna, close enough to see her girlish features, watched awe settle in smoky eyes as Setsuna knelt before her lover with worshipful reverence. Sudden foreboding swept over her then, and, bells jingling, the redhead backed away as dark eyes seemed to glow with purpose.

"_I think it's time to begin,"_ whispered Konoka, her voice not her own and liquid with heat.

"Ah, crap-!" Flat out running from her best friend, Asuna risked a glance from over her shoulder, calling back to her distant teacher. "You two might wanna move it!"

"Kotaro..." said Negi slowly, eyes widening as the young woman shifted her posture, back arching, fingers spreading, the burnished gold disc hovering between her glowing hands a mere blur of wavering radiance, "I think it might be a good idea for us to-"

"You talk too much!" barked Kotaro, snatching Negi's arm and bolting after the fleeing redhead. "Hurry up and _run!_"

"_Taiyo no..."_

"Ah, _hellll-ll-l-l_-" yelped the dark-haired dog-boy, ears twitching in panic, Negi dragged along behind him in disbelief as they skidded across the stone-

"This isn't going to be good, is it?" asked Asuna of no one in particular, bells jingling in the sudden rush of warm air that snatched at her hair and sent it billowing out in twin auburn streams behind her-

The mirror between Konoka's glowing fingers spinning, spinning, faster, _faster-!_

Kaede's eyes widened in horror as the heat-haze boiling in the air about Konoka's slender figure burst aflame with orbs and twists of flickering fire, flaring larger with every revolution of smouldering metal-

Mana, tasting burning ozone and knowing what it meant, screamed _"EVERYBODY GET DOW-!"_

"_...kousen!"_

For the briefest, merest moment, time slowed for Negi Springfield. Facing down the metaphysical barrel of rippling, blazing rings of fire condensing to a point of pure heat, the boy wizard stared at flames that glowed incandescent blue-white against the shimmering surface of the mirror, blossoming into broad ribbons of superhot plasma that twisted in searing, arcane designs against the scorched air.

His feet slipped from under him; his body toppled back against the stone, fingers scraping shallow lines across Kotaro's forearm, the boys tumbling to the platform as a massive _whoosh _of scalding air poured across them-

-and caught _alight_.

* * *

Somewhere, at the back of her mind, Evangeline knew she was screaming.

The sound rang in jagged, piercing echoes about her skull, scraping bone with needle-tipped sharpness and made her dig trembling fingers into temples in a small, desperate attempt to stop the _noise_-

Her teeth sunk into raggedly torn lips, and more blood, hot and sweet, spurted into her mouth; darkness crowded her as clawing, twisting strips of shadow, snatching at her skin with greedy fingers, threatening to strip the trembling vampire down to her component atoms as her out-of-control magic shook the world about her.

Opening her eyes yielded nothing; the same darkness in the depths of her mind drowned the air, pouring in with every breath, staining her lungs with smoky, choking essence. The protective spells and enchantments she'd carefully wound about her all-too-fragile child's body over centuries and centuries of dark magic peeled away, layer by excruciating layer, leaving her bare before the bleeding, melting void that consumed her once-glittering sky.

Shadowy hands gripped reality by fraying seams and threatened to _pull_-

_You fool. Trying to mess with pactio magic, especially of such magnitude- what were you thinking?_

Blood filled her mouth. She tasted bitterness, and it dripped through her teeth to pool and churn in her stomach with slick, acidic agony.

_Well. You're going to die tonight, all for the sake of some half-hearted vision that you don't even understand..._

But then, suddenly, the faint humming of an engine; growing louder with every second that trickled past in the gloom miring her. Evangeline, wreathed in twisting black fire, shrieked in despair.

_No. No! I _forbid_ it! You idiot robot, what have you done?_

Rippling in the unnatural gloom, blinding to her dark-stained eyes, thin, wavering headlights alit upon her face, casting blurred shadows into the writhing darkness.

"_-ast-ksht! Mas-kscht!"_ her gynoid's voice, choked with static, calling for her.

Her un-dead heart -thunderous, even over the pain singing in her ears, screaming in her blood- stopped; but whether with hope or fear, the battered vampire couldn't tell.

_I told you to stay at the villa!_

Bursting through the murky haze as a dolphin through the surf, shadows rippling from synthetic skin like water, Chachamaru pierced the eye of the storm with grim determination. Pitted and scarred with bubbling, blistered lesions -exposing glittering magical circuitry- and leaking oil as one mortally wounded, she reached out smoking hands, scrabbling for the slender, trembling figure floating in the heart of darkness.

"_Hsssht_-ter! Please take -_ksht!_- hand!"

Green eyes blazed with more _life_ than possible from mere optical lenses alone; Eva shuddered to see shimmering jade enveloped by the inky dark, oozing from the bleakest depths of her magic, and choked back a sob.

_I _made_ her. That's why she's doing this. She's a robot, for gods' sakes, she's _programmed_ to save me, even if she destroys herself in the process-_

Cool fingers -scorched by the shrieking, burning power that raged about them both, but utterly unstoppable in the face of magical disaster- curled about her ankle.

Pain blistered through her at that gentle touch; her little girl's body shivered with waves of rippling, tearing agony as, with a burst of jet-propulsion, her ministra surged closer and pulled Evangeline tight. Cradling her master in a steely clinch, uncaring of the rippling flame that snatched at her with ebon claws, the gynoid curled about the child-vampire in a protective embrace.

"I-I-I _Khhk_-have you, mas-_ksht!_"

_Her central core's been damaged. She's on the verge of breakdown. No matter how good Hakase's designs are, I don't think she can survive _this_-_

"Not to _K-k-kkk_worry, Master. I am -_ksrack!_- that N-_kkt_-sensei will save us. If we can _krrkksht-krkk-zashh_ -torm, then-_klik-klik-kk-k-"_

Her words crackling into a death rattle, Chachamaru shuddered, left antennae cracked and sparking, glistening wires exposed beneath a torn, oil-flecked cheek. Light flickered behind smoke-stained optical sensors, weakening as the battered gynoid's magical core faded between overload and blackout. Intricately connected to her master by a web of enchantment no less complex than any pactio agreement between mage and ministra, as Evangeline hovered between existence and destruction, so did her green-haired maid.

A whisper floated from bloody lips. "You _fool_."

Unable to speak, visual display guttering, Chachamaru merely held her tighter, the vampire's small body snug against her own as the maelstrom peaked around them.

* * *

Sunlight -pure, hot, _piercing_- scorched in melting, white shadows against the darkness behind eyelids squeezed tight. Liquid heat rippled across skin in a manner likely to leave third-degree burns, but left him curiously untouched. His collar was an uncomfortable weight on his bare chest, but he seemed to be otherwise unharmed.

_By all accounts,_ thought Negi, quite surprised he was still capable of thought at all, _I should be a charcoal briquette right about now._

He risked opening an eye, stared into the white heart of a supernova for the merest breath of a second, and slammed it shut.

Black spots hovered before his dazzled pupils, and the impression of a tear trailed across his cheek before evaporating neatly into the fire storm raging a scant hands-width above him.

_Ah. That hurt._

Lying flat against the stone -very cold and hard beneath him, considering the tide of shivering flame streaming above him- Negi was keenly aware of the sharp, jagged hole Konoka's magic had torn through the barrier, punching through layers and layers of the strongest, most complexly layered enchantment he could conjure as a flamethrower through tissue paper. The edges of the barrier smouldered, melting into smoking wisps of guttering, dying power; thin cracks curled through his consciousness like the heat-haze wreathing him, and boy wizard shuddered with pain as his carefully constructed magical defences dissolved into nothingness.

He dragged in a shuddering breath. Smoke painted the inside of his mouth with bitterness as the magic inside roiled in shock from the recoil, every gasp of air pulled through gritted teeth stained with the sooty haze pouring through the hole in his rapidly-disintegrating barrier-

_Wait. Smoke?_

"Negi," grunted Kotaro, face down and somewhat breathless, ears flat against his skull, "This is... um, I think ojou-chan here just did something very..." and stopped, breath curiously loud in the silence. "You just... you just _gotta_ see this."

Rolling onto his stomach, flinching as the red-hot shadows burning into his brain flowed with the movement, torn wrap bunching about his legs, the boy teacher braced himself up on his forearms, and opened his eyes-

-and stared, heedless of the heat that coiled about him, burning through the blackened air, and pierced the heart of the maelstrom that seethed about his master.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, and pain seared his retinas as Ametarasu's mirror scorched the sky white, burning artificial night to smoking cinders, brightness twisting through thick, roiling blackness as bands of burning, purifying sunlight.

"_Master..."_

* * *

Where black clouds had poured across the crackling, chaotic sky of Evangeline's resort now swirled a superdense hurricane of smouldering darkness, impaled upon a spear of white fire. Inky steam boiled from the rippling tempest where clean heat scorched through darkest magic, leaving shimmering shadows cast in blistering streaks across a burning sky, and chased rippling waves of purifying light across the furthest breadth of the illusionary horizon.

Konoka, shedding power in waves of shimmering plasma with every minute movement, flared as bright as the heart of a new-born star; the mirror held delicately between glowing fingers poured forth magic and heat as unstoppably as the surging tide.

Before her slender, incandescent figure, Negi -pressed flat against the platform for fear of horrible burning death should he raise himself a mere handspan higher- gaped in shocked, incredulous awe as the riotous tempest of darkness seemed to swell in deep undulations of blackest, bleakest despair, tendrils of implacable, unstoppable shadow spearing inwards towards the core of burning light-

Only to burst into sizzling tongues of flame.

The undulating bands of sunlight at the heart of the storm flared; behind him, Nodoka screamed as blinding radiance flooded the collapsed resort, and scorched their vision blank.

Silence reigned.

Slowly, over the susurrant whisper of dying wind, and the faint _hiss _and_ pop_ of dying magic, the faintest, softest hum made itself known, building slowly, as though coming from great distance. "An engine?" asked Chisame, turning her head at the familiar sound, but no one answered.

As the red shadows of sun-dazzled pupils faded, and those gathered on the platform dared to open their eyes, awe stole over the Negigumi.

The air was no longer scalding; now, soft heat, as mild and as serene as indolent sunlight soaking into one's skin on a lazy summer afternoon washed over them all in a sweet caress; shock and horror eased, wiped away by some unseen touch of soothing warmth, a gentle peace suffusing those watching, like soaking in a perfectly-temperate bath after a tiring day.

The previously black-stained sky was now as white and bare as new parchment, the illusion of night time long gone; in the distance, a shimmering smudge of movement could be seen wheeling across the horizon with staggered bursts of speed.

Yue, unconscious in Nodoka's lap, stirred; thick lashes shielding deep, intelligent eyes fluttered as, with a stretch and a yawn, the exhausted mage swam back into consciousness.

"Mmm...? Nodoka? What..." trailing off, Yue blinked in surprise as grateful tears dripped from Nodoka's cheeks, pattering gently onto her face.

"Oh, Yue! _Yue!_" Bundling a somewhat confused librarian into her arms, the trembling young woman wept with joy, tears soaking into her best friend's dark hair. Rubbing her back gently, Yue tried to sit up-

-and glanced over at Konoka, and stopped, and _stared_.

The mirror, a twisting disc of fluid light, rippled between glowing fingers; long, sinuous folds of fabric wreathed her form in sunlight glory, and strands of sun-kissed hair floated about her young face in a nimbus of dazzling power. Kind brown eyes were glazed with supernatural intent; Yue watched in stunned awe as her friend -possessed by power such as she had never seen before- turned her head, glowing gaze alighting on the stunned philosopher.

"_You are recovered? Good. And in that case... kaeru."_

As the last syllable trickled from soft lips in a whisper of liquid heat, the light gathered about her classmate's glowing form _flared_-

-and flashed out in a shower of golden sparks, cascading down over the young mage in a sun-streaked tide of magic. Her floating robes collapsed into ribbons of glowing radiance, twisting through the air in brief, beautiful patterns before dissipating in a skin-tingling rush of warmth; the mirror floating loosely in delicate hands rippled, the tide of power pouring forth stuttering and flickering out in a backwash of light that brought tears to the eye. Konoka sighed, the sound a caress, hovering backlit in glowing brilliance. A gentle shiver swept over the young woman; closing her eyes, she slumped and drifted softly down into the outstretched arms of Setsuna. Kneeling at her lover's feet, the swordswoman drew her close with exquisite care, wings reflecting the dying flickers of luminous magic wreathing Konoka's body. Brushing soft locks of dark hair from her sweet face, gentle fingertips came to rest on soft lips, the swordswoman sighing in reverent bliss...

...before whatever spell held her in thrall broke. Blinking away dizzying, intoxicating magic, Setsuna lifted her head, only to meet the stunned gazes of her milling classmates.

Slowly, ever so carefully, Asakura raised her camera, only to have Asuna slap her hand down. "Now is _not_ the time for pictures!"

Asakura rolled her eyes, and brought her camera up again, to be slapped down once more by a pissed redhead.

"Oh, come _on_ Asuna! Look at that pose! I've _got_ to get a photo of them- who knows when I'll get a scoop like this one ever again?"

"You heard what they said before- no telling anyone, and no incriminating pictures!"

"_No one said anything about pictures, Red! And besides, I'll blur their faces before it goes to publication!"_

"_That does nothing and you know it! NO PICTURES!"_

Negi, ignoring the fight that had broken out amongst his students, stood shakily.

"Konoka... Setsuna-san, is she alright?" his young voice, startlingly loud in the still air, carried easily across the platform. Kotaro in tow, he walked towards the main group.

Setsuna, drawn away from her classmates stares, laid a gentle hand against her lover's cheek, and listened to the soft exhalation of her breath.

"I think so. She's unconscious, and a little flushed, but I think it's just exertion. There doesn't appear to be any damage to her anywhere..." Shifting her hold, she stood, the taller girl cradled in her arms, brown hair tangling in the half-demon's feathers as she folded her wings back. "Even so, sensei, I'd like to let her rest and wake on her own." Freeing a hand to smooth tangled hair from Konoka's face, Setsuna frowned. "I don't know where though. Look at this place- whatever happened to Eva has completely destroyed the resort..."

Silence fell amongst them all then, as the Negigumi took in their surroundings- the blank, clean sky and then stone platform that petered off into a sheer drop through unused space. Yue, still wrapped in a tearful Nodoka's trembling arms, sat up a little straighter.

"How long was I out? And what happened here? I remember the darkness swallowing up Eva-chan, but after that, it's all a blank... and what on earth is going on with-"

_Vrrrm-rmm! Vrrmmm-tch! __**Whoomph**__!_

Cut off mid-sentence, Yue gasped, swallowed, and forced a trembling hand to point over her audience's heads, towards the edge of the platform.

"Cha... cha... _Chachamaru!"_

Moving as one, the Negigumi turned on the spot-

-and met the sight before them with horror. The gynoid -for it could be no one else- perched, swaying on one knee, on the very edge of the stone platform, having landed with a resounding _whump_. Leaking oil in thick, viscous streams that pattered onto the platform, blood-flecked and smoke-stained, she raised her battered body slowly, arms trembling about a slim bundle of scorched, tattered fabric, skeins of smoky blonde hair spilling over the crook of one shaking arm-

"Master!" gasped Negi, and dashed forth to catch the tumbling form of Evangeline as she slipped from Chachamaru's grip, the gynoid collapsing onto the stone, smoke pouring from the blistered wounds that peppered her skin. Falling back onto the platform, Negi gaped as the bloodstained figure in his arms stirred, reaching out a thin, shaking hand- and was lifted from his arms by a worried Asuna. Setsuna, Konoka still unconscious in her arms, watched from nearby as Kaede and Mana gently rolled Chachamaru onto her back, wiping soot and oil from her face with Haruna's cast-off jacket. Chisame, hurrying forward, knelt by her limp figure.

"I don't know much about robotics, but knowing Hakase, Chacha triggered an emergency beacon the moment she was damaged. If we're lucky, she'll be on her way now. Mana, try and sit her up- I want to see if I can get her to respond to outside stimuli..." trailing off at the -somewhat incredulous- look that spread over the mercenary's features, the computer geek frowned. "Hey, are you gonna help me or not?" she snapped, turning back to the injured gynoid. "She might just be a robot, but she's a friend, okay? Sheesh, you'd think I'd grown another head or something..."

Lifting a delicate eyelid with a gentle fingertip, she fished a keychain torch from her pocket and shone it back and forth across heavily dilated pupils. "Optical sensors don't seem to be responding... must be some critical damage to her sensory receptor centre... Maybe if I trigger her reboot program...?"

As Chisame muttered, Asuna smoothed hair back from Eva's chalk-white face, taking in the panic in glassy green eyes. "Hey, Eva, you in there?" Bloody lips parted, and the diminutive vamp shuddered, tremors racking her thin body. Abruptly, her spasms seized, and Eva gasped soundlessly, eyes rolling back in her head.

"Crap, I don't know anything about first aid for a _vampire_...!" Alarmed, the redhead turned to the gaping boy teacher at her feet. "What the hell do I do now?"

"Um, giving her blood might help." Called out Nodoka. Quiet up until now, the violet-haired librarian straightened, wiping tears from her young face. "Eva might be capable of healing most wounds on her own without outside help -high daylight walkers being the most powerful subset of vampire- but considering the, uh, damage she took before, blood should help kick-start the healing process- I did some research about vampires a little while ago," she added softly, Yue turning in the circle of her arms to smile encouragingly at the shy girl.

"Right, blood. That makes sense." Nodding, Asuna's determination gave way to growing anxiety. "But _whose_ blood?"

_Click-click-click-whrr... click!_

Moaning, Chachamaru twitched, shoulders jumping under Kaede's gentle hands. Mana, crouching before her, wiped away a trickle of cleaning fluid as her eyes flickered- and she fixed an unsteady gaze on Chisame, head slouching on much-abused shoulders. "N-negi-s-s-sensei... buh-buh-blood... _click!_... Negi-sensei's b-blood," she gasped, voice urgent. Shaking hands gripped the hacker with blistered fingers, wires glittering dully under broken skin. "Masterrrr-r-r... n-needs... Negi's _blood_."

Shocked silence met that declaration- Chachamaru, rolling her head, focused her determined if unsteady gaze on the boy-teacher in question, gasped _"_please_Emergency Shut Down Mode engaged, shutting down..."_ and passed out.

"Well, you heard the robot. Take one for the team, Negi," said Asuna, thrusting the unconscious vamp in Negi's direction.

"_Ack!_ Don't point that at me!"

Head lolling slackly, Eva seemed to take no notice of the boy backing away from her, and slumped, unconscious, at his feet.

"Here," said Kotaro, grinning with wicked glee, "let me help..."

"Kota-kun, I don't know what you're thinking," began Negi, shuffling backwards as the hanyou advanced, fingers twisting as curved, sharp claws burst from his fingertips. "Ah, no-!" yelped the boy-mage as his friend pounced, pinning him to the ground and digging sharp nails into his shoulders. "_Ow!_ Bloody hell, you didn't have to do it that hard-"

"Oh, suck it up, Negi." Ignoring his curses, Kotaro stood and shook bloody fingertips at the still vamp, droplets pattering onto her upturned face. Slowly, as though battling through some unseen tide, her still form stirred. Petite nose wrinkling as she caught the scent of blood, Eva moved blindly across the stone, blurring into motion and leaping for Negi, who clutched ineffectually at the punctures in his shoulders.

Whimpering as she smacked into him, knocking him down, the boy teacher fairly howled as she reared up and sunk sharp fangs into his tender flesh.

"_Master_! _Ow_- not so -_uh_- hard! _Please_," gurgled the russet-haired teen, Evangeline ignoring him, mouth locked tightly about his neck. Eyes glazed, Negi slumped even as some semblance of life returned to his master's bloodstained face, and her tightly scrunched eyelids fluttered erratically.

An uncomfortable silence followed as the gathered girls (and Kotaro, who couldn't quite keep the smile off his face) stared at the blonde vampire drinking hungrily with a barely audible slurping sound, Negi's protesting wails fading into nothing.

"Well, that was unpleasant..." mumbled Haruna, "but we're still stuck here. What the hell are we going to do now girls?"

"I agree with Haruna." Nodding, Setsuna shifted her grip and hitched Konoka up higher. "I need somewhere to lay ojou-sama down; I don't want to put her down on the stone when she's in this state. Negi-sensei's hurt and is probably-" a muffled shriek from the boy in question made her flinch, and the half-demon amended "-that is, _definitely_ going to need medical attention. Chachamaru needs help too."

"If we had the supplies, this one thinks we could set up camp here," said Kaede softly, assisting Mana in gently laying down the unconscious gynoid. "However, unfortunately this one only possesses enough emergency rations for two meals, and certainly not enough for the whole class even should this one abstain."

A general turning out of pockets and investigation of handbags resulted in four chocolate bars, half a foil-wrapped toasted chicken-and-cheese sandwich, a packet of mints, seven water bottles and one small juice-box of "Tomato and Pickle-relish Milk", as supplied by Yue.

"We're doomed." Said Asuna flatly.

Aside from the discussion, Ku Fei, having been watching Eva with a thoughtful look on her face, spoke. "If Eva-san better, she fix this, yes? Only, she not stopping and Negi-bozu look pale now."

Negi, looking considerably thinner than an hour ago, had stopped trying to push the slender blonde off him; in fact, for the past few minutes, he'd barely moved at all, staring glassily upwards at the white-scorched sky, fingers occasionally twitching as Evangeline drained the life from him, drop by bloody drop.

Asuna frowned. "Alright, that's enough shorty- anymore and you'll kill him." Trying to peel the Magus Nosferatu from her unwilling victim proved harder than the red-head thought, and after a particularly vicious yank on matted blonde hair earned her a snarl and a backhand that smacked her hard enough to land on her ass some five metres away, the schoolgirl sat and rubbed her reddening cheek. "Ow. Little _bitch_. Okay, so that didn't work. Anyone else got any ideas?"

But her attempts had disturbed the feeding vamp enough for her to pull back with a jerking gasp, bloody lips spread wide over glistening teeth. Slowly, conscious thought faded into deep green eyes; blinking, and rubbing her face with fisted hands, Evangeline rocked backwards and sat awkwardly on Negi's hips.

"_Mmph..._ what? Where...?" looking down at the gently twitching boy-mage sprawled beneath her, she sighed and pulled herself to her feet. "Oh, bloody _hell_. Well, he's going to be useless for the rest of the evening. Chacha, put the boya to bed, will you?"

Frowning when no affirmative 'Yes, master' rang out, the vamp turned-

-only to see her ministra sprawled, lifeless, against the stone. Something like pain washed over her childish face as her green-eyed gaze took in the devastation visited upon her faithful attendant; lifting her eyes to where once hung her tropical resort, framed by lush rainforest and glittering waterfalls against a backdrop of velvet night, now bleached nothingness, brought a despairing twist to bloody lips. Slowly, deliberately, she turned and faced her milling classmates, arrayed in various states of shock and awe, and covered her eyes with a trembling hand.

"My magic... collapsed in on itself." Her whispering voice shook, misery leaching into her words as her voice slowly rose. "_Decades_ of intricate spellwork, _thousands of hours _of _concentration_ and _deliberation_ over the most _delicate_, finest web of enchantment I could create... _gone_. _Fuck_."

Shaking slightly, she took a steadying breath, and jabbed an accusing finger at Setsuna, who jumped.

"I blame you for this, halfbreed. You and your thrice-damned _magus_. If she hadn't been leaking magic from every pore..." trailing off, the diminutive vamp swallowed her anger and wiped her face, smearing dried blood over her chin. "It doesn't matter now. Hakase... Hakase will be on her way, but because of the time lapse, it's going to be a few hours until she shows up to repair Chachamaru, and God knows I have to do _something_ with you children until then." Jerking a thumb over her shoulder in Negi's direction she frowned. "Especially that one. Alright, move out of my way- I need some room."

Muscling through the crowd of girls as only a blood-stained dark mage could, and past a surly Asuna, whose left cheek was swelling to titanic proportions, Evangeline stretched and cracked her knuckles.

"I guess something simple will have to do... it's going to be a while before I can get this place back up to par..." mumbling to herself, the dark mage concentrated, thick bands of darkness coalescing about her slender figure. An unholy wind seemed to swirl about her raised hands, whipping back thick skeins of tangled blonde hair; blurred shapes spun and danced in the clouds of dark magic twisting and coalescing in the emptiness before her.

"Hold onto something, kiddies- It's going to be a _wild_ ride..."

* * *

More than anything, it was the snow pattering gently onto the roof that made Kaede question the unreality of the situation. The sound of snow landing with soft, drifting _whump_s onto cedar was familiar to her; most of the winter nights spent in the mountains had serenaded her with the wind through the trees and white, feathery drifts of snowfall.

The same sound, almost muffled by the hissing steam of the baths, echoed amongst the high, empty roof- the dark-stained beams of which, if one looked carefully enough, didn't actually connect to the pillars of cedar framing the onsen. And the steam curling up from the bubbling water disappeared into nothingness some two metres above their heads, long before it reached the vents. Even the water swirling in warm currents about her slender limbs, when sloshed onto the wooden floorboards, dissipated into vaporous nothingness in a manner unlike any water she'd ever seen.

It was obvious enough to the experienced onlooker that this quaint, wooden construct was totally and wholly a figment of Evangeline's imagination; she knew that.

But the snow sounded so _real_.

"Mm-_hm_. Gotta love a hot bath," sighed Haruna, sinking blissfully into steaming water not far from her ninja classmate, skimpy towel barely covering her breasts. Nodoka, already flushing a deep pink (whether from the heat or her classmates casual nudity, one could not tell) nodded, steam-soaked fringe flopping damply against her face. Yue, pressing a cool cloth against her hot cheeks, said nothing, slumping against the edge of the bath, arms resting on the slick wood, still a little dizzy from her previous exertion. Ku fei, perched on the edge of the wooden bath, hummed happily to herself as she blotted water from her skin, pigtails bobbing merrily.

"Nice as this is, I'd still like to know what the _hell_ went on back there. That was one _crapload_ of mojo Konoka was messing about with, and no-one's bothered to explain what was happing with Eva in the first place," grumbled Kazumi, wiping the condensation from her camera lens with her facecloth, and not even bothering to hide her nakedness. "I've got articles to write, people; I need more than speculation and hearsay."

Reclining lazily against the wood-panelled ledge, Mana closed her eyes and shifted her towel to pillow her head. "I wouldn't play with that in the bath if I were you." Earning a scowl from the paparazzo, she chuckled darkly. "As far as those four are concerned, freedom of the press doesn't count for squat, so don't dwell on it. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the steam."

Still muttering, Asakura sunk lower, blowing irritated bubbles.

The four in question -a somewhat pissed Evangeline, a worried Setsuna, a pallid Negi and damp Asuna- huddled around the unconscious forms of Konoka and Chachamaru. Both young women were laid out on wooden benches, heads cushioned by piles of fluffy towels; Evangeline, wrapped in a cotton yukata patterned with bats, brushed damp locks back from her face as she leant over her battered ministra.

"Stupid fool robot...what the hell were you thinking, coming in after me?" Green eyes glowed with some undecipherable emotion as the vampire leaned forward, close enough for her breath to stir the soft, tangled hair pooling about Chachamaru's still face. "When Hakase fixes you, I'm asking for a manual override button." Brushing fingertips against an oil-stained cheek in a surprisingly tender gesture, she sighed and pulled back, perching on the edge of the wooden bench.

Asuna, dripping water that evaporated even as it splashed onto the floorboards, shifted from foot to foot, tugging her towel lower. "Touching moment and all, Eva, but uh, I'd like to get back in the bath now. These towels don't really cover all that much, and I'm getting kind of cold-"

"_Hey! Eva! Robot girl's here!"_

Kotaro, dragging a startled Hakase behind him with one hand and a large toolbox in the other, faded into view, tail cutting swathes through the thick steam clouding the bath-house entrance. Following in his wake was Chisame, scowling as she wiped the fog from her glasses.

"Good," said Evangeline, and clicked her fingers. The bench she perched upon groaned, and with a lurch, shifted, wooden floorboards flowing like water in grainy ripples and waves as she reformed the small space around her. Moving sideways, still bearing Chachamaru on its wooden surface, the bench surfed across the buckling cedar, shoji-clad walls bursting upwards from the depths of magic-bound shingles, separating mage and robot from the rest of the class, who watched in stunned awe as the bathhouse rearranged itself.

Asuna, unbalanced on suddenly liquid floorboards, shrieked and toppled backwards into the bath, bowling over a just-dry Ku Fei as she fell (the blonde China doll tumbling into the bath with a yelped "_Sacre bleu_!"), the pair sloshing water over their classmates, the red-heads towel swept away in the commotion. Overhead lights, dangling on chains, slid from the hazy heights of the loosely-defined ceiling, and cast yellow shadows across the small room, startling a hovering Sayo, whose smoky body glowed with sudden illumination. Hakase, stopping in front of the open screens, sighed. "Evangeline, I'm going to need something more clinical- and the steam is going to interfere with my instruments..."

No sooner had the words left her lips than harsh light flooded the partitions, creeping through gaps in the shoji panels; the bench the vamp perched upon rose a few feet high and became cold and steely, chairs blooming from suddenly tiled and sterile floors. The steam beading on cedar and blurring Satomi's glasses vanished, evaporated smoothly into nothingness with barely a lazy gesture from the somewhat impatient vampire.

"That'll work." Straightening her shoulders, she shoved her glasses back with one hand, light glinting off their lenses, and pulled her labcoat straight with the other. "Chisame, help me please. I understand you performed basic emergency maintenance, yes?"

"If that's what you call robot first aid, then yes. But I don't think I helped much. There's only some much I can do- I'm more a software kinda gal..." voice trailing off, the bespectacled hacker followed the slender professor into the impromptu lab, taking the tool box from Kotaro's hands with nary a backwards glance. Evangeline, pacing about the table, made an irritated sound; the shoji shut with a click and hid the girls from sight.

Silence followed for a heartbeat. Slowly, Kotaro lifted a hand and rubbed his head. "A thank you would've been nice..." shaggy hair sliding over his shoulders, he shrugged. "Guess fangface has got a lot on her mind. Yo, Negi, how's that neck? You washed it yet?"

Slapping a hand over his bitemarks, freshly bandaged, Negi both frowned and winced.

"Kota-kun, this is a _girl's_ bath; you shouldn't be in here."

"Then how come you're here, idiot? You're not a girl- though the way you were dressed makes me think again, heh. You sure looked nice in that skirt, _Negina._"Leering, the dog-boy waggled his eyebrows, unable to resist baiting the shorter boy with a suggestive howl.

Flustered, the boy-teacher stuck hands on hips and snapped "S-shut up! And I'll have you know it was a _sarong_, not a skirt! There's a _difference_, Kota-kun!"

"Whatever. Look, I'm going to the _boy's_ bath- there's one back through the doors over there. You can stay here and talk shop with the ladies if you want, but I'm not." Wrinkling his nose, Kotaro pulled a face. "Too many naked girls makes me feel... uneasy." Shuddering hard enough to make his hair stand on end, the inu-hanyou poked his tongue out, and acting more juvenile than his thirteen years would suggest, dashed back into the steam.

"H-hey! I'm coming too!" turning to a somewhat startled Setsuna, the boy-teacher frowned. "Konoka-san will be alright, won't she? And you'll be able to help if anything happens to master, right?"

Bemused, the swordswoman nodded slowly. "I can handle things here Negi-sensei. Go on."

Grinning, the boy-mage waved briefly at a spluttering Asuna, who parted a curtain of wet hair with a groan, in time to see her teacher melt into the haze clouding the doors. "Hey! You brat! You can't just run off like that-! What about Eva? What about Chachamaru!? _Come back here!_"

"_I'll be fine Asuna! Enjoy your bath!"_

"Son of a-! That's it, you're going down, kid!" snarled the red head, and splashed out of the tub dripping with rage. Storming across the wooden floorboards in a flurry of slippery limbs and damp skin, she screeched "_How dare you!_ I'm going to turn you into _English muffins_, you little- _argh!_" and promptly stepped on a stray bar of soap.

_Squich. Swiiiip. Whump._

The collected girls of the Negi-gumi watched with fascinated horror as Asuna, flailing like a madwoman, slipped on soapy cedar, fell onto her rear, skidded a good three metres and slammed into a pole. Flopping onto her back, legs sprawled out beneath her, the redhead groaned, eyes glazed, and passed out with a whimper.

"_Hawt_." Said Haruna, sly eyes sparkling as the most of other girls winced, flinched or averted their eyes. Mana, immune to the misfortunes of others, shrugged and laid her washcloth back over her eyes. There was a brief moment where she slapped away Kaede's wandering hands, the ninja seeking to cop a surreptitious feel in the confusion, which passed unnoticed by the other occupants of the bath. Askaura, not nearly as bothered by her classmates' potential injuries, merely raised her camera.

_Click! Click! Click-click-click!_

"This is _totally_ going in the evening edition."

Averting her eyes from the carnage, Setsuna shook her head wearily.

_She's going to feel that when she wakes up. Better cancel her kendo practice for the next couple of days, at least until I'm sure that wasn't a concussion..._

Warm fingers tangling with hers made her jump, and a throaty "...Set-chan? Where...?" snapped her attention to the woman laid out beside her.

"Kono-chan! You're awake!"

Hazy-eyed, the brunette smiled sleepily up at her ministra, lips curving softly. "Set-chan..." slowly, her smooth brow wrinkled. "What... happened? Why are we in a... bathhouse? And why the heck is Asuna _spread-eagled_ on the _floor_?"

"It's, uh, complicated. Long story short, Eva made it, and we've gotta spend the night here before we can leave the resort." Hesitating, something like worry flitted through the half-demon's eyes. "You don't remember what you did?"

"What I... _Yue_! Is she okay? Where-" Jerking upright, Konoka clutched her head against the pain that spiked behind her eyes. "Ooh, that _hurt_."

"Ah, ojou-sama, please don't push yourself. Yue is fine; so are Nodoka and Negi and even Eva- Chachamaru managed to get her out of the storm. I don't know what you did, ojou-sama, but whatever it was it worked." Curling her arm around Konoka's waist, the swordswoman eased her gently into a sitting position, and rested her head against the taller girl's milky shoulder. "Something happened to Eva, something to do with your magic. I tried asking her, but she's not exactly talkative at the moment, what with Chachamaru being so badly injured. Satomi-san will fix her, I'm sure of it. But I don't want you to worry about that," Setsuna added, turning her head so that her lips brushed soft skin. "I just want you to rest and get better."

Konoka sighed, a faint tremor passing through her with that gentle touch. "Okay, Set-chan. But I want to wash first- I feel all sweaty." Slipping from the swordswoman's embrace, she stretched and yawned, feeling her spine click back into place. "I don't know how you can stand to cuddle me- I must be all stinky-" feeling fabric whisper across her skin, she paused and look down. "Oops." Bare to the waist, Konoka shrugged. "Saves me the trouble, I suppose..."

"Kono-chan," whispered Setsuna, eyes closed tight. "Your towel, please." Lips almost bloodless, the swordswoman reached out trembling hands to pull the cloth currently pooling around the young woman's hips a little higher, voice ever so faintly strained. "It might be better if you... covered up." Dark hair slipping over her eyes, she slid shaking fingers across her lover's skin, tucking terry cloth about her breasts and smoothing it across her waist. "Since your magic spilled over to me, I feel a little... strange."

Which was true; it had been harder than she had anticipated to strip her Kono-chan of her tattered sarong and wipe her clean of the sweat that had beaded across her skin. Her glamour, freshly applied, had shimmered faintly with every brush of bare skin against her fingertips, those small touches echoing down to darker, deeper places in the recesses of her mind as the she-demon inside brushed against the barriers holding her back.

Even with her classmates leaning over her shoulder, stabbing pointed questions about her hair and eyes and why she'd acted so strangely before, even with Asuna helping her daub sweat from her ojou-sama's skin, the young hanyou had still felt a stirring inside; languid heat pooling in the base of her belly, desire writhing through her warming blood. Some new, strange hunger, only just evoked, rested with her now, and although quiet for the time being, stole innocence from her actions and coloured her thoughts with yearning.

The swordswoman's nerves earned her a concerned look, but Konoka nodded and acquiesced. "Okay, Set-chan- if you want, I can shower by myself. If you help me stand up, I should be okay..."

Setsuna winced. _Strange feelings or not, the least I can do is help her bathe. I will put aside this... oddness for now. There will be time to examine it later._

"No, Kono-chan; I'll help. You might slip over, and I don't want you to pass out again. Here, put your arm around my shoulder..."

Evangeline, cruel-spirited as she was, still knew how to work a spell; despite the disconnected roof beams and curious sense of incompleteness winding through the bathhouse, the showers had excellent pressure and their spray steamed with soothing heat. Seated inside one such booth, Setsuna soaped and lathered her lover's back ("this is the second time in two days you've given me a wash, Set-chan," giggled Konoka, a little unsteady but obviously feeling much better) and sloshed her clean with pitchers of hot water, then lead her magus to the baths.

Konoka, being helped down the slippery steps by her girlfriend, sighed as the warm water rose up her body. "Mmm, that's nice... you know, these remind me of the baths back in Kyoto. They're just like the one that was near my room- don't you remember Set-chan?"

Setsuna, trying very hard not to let her eyes linger on the water lapping at soft curves, shook her head damply, dark hair already dripping with steam. "I didn't use your bath, ojou-sama; I bathed and slept in the servant's quarters, but I'd agree that these are very similar-"

"_Hey! Konoka! You're up!"_

Asuna, a little bruised but otherwise unharmed, surged through the bath, her wake splashing onto the floorboards. "Damn, girl; I don't know what the hell you did but it sure saved us- we'd have been sucked into that dark swirly thing that Eva whipped up if it wasn't for you and your shiny mirror!"

"'Dark swirly thing'? 'Shiny mirror'?" asked the brunette weakly, puzzled even as the redhead enfolded her in a slippery hug. "Um, you're welcome...?"

"Good to have you up and about Konoka!" called out Asakura, raising her camera- only to flinch at the glare from a hovering Setsuna, and tuck it behind her back. "That was some show you gave us!"

Nodoka, a little intimidated, merely waved; Yue smiled gratefully at her fellow library-club member, and bowed her head. "Negi-sensei said you healed me when I over-extended my magic. I just wanted to say thank you."

Wading out deeper, the young mage let her ministra lead her to the submerged seats, and allowed herself to be fussed into a corner by a protective hanyou.

"That's okay Yue; you would've done the same for me." Wriggling a little to get comfortable, she accepted a warm face cloth from Ku Fei, and leaned back against her swordswoman, tugging a pale arm around her shoulders. "Um, what exactly was it I did?"

"You summoned _Yata no Kagami_," said Mana, voice silky, gaze imperious. Even the water that ran in glistening beads across her skin did nothing to soften her expression. "With Amaterasu's Mirror in hand, you summoned Her cleansing light and banished the darkness. The fact that you healed the small wounds we had all accrued in the chaos of the storm is insignificant in the face of such an impossible act; no one but the emperor has seen that mirror for decades, and how it ended up in your hands I will never know."

In the silence, the faint _click-click-click_ing of Satomi's repairs could be heard; softly murmured instructions and whispered incantations from Chachamaru's mistress hung in the fog that seethed about the baths.

Laying back into the water, rolling her shoulders as it sloshed back up her body, the mercenary-turned-miko frowned.

"I'm not ungrateful for what you did, ojou-sama; I just don't understand it. Even if you and Setsuna have made a permanent pactio, you shouldn't be the one with the artefact- she should." Dark eyes looked deeply into Konoka's own; the young mage felt a shudder roll across her skin with the speculation that gaze swept over her. Setsuna's hand, slack against her magi's shoulder, tightened; her own gaze, sharp and defensive, flicked across the sniper's carefully blank face.

"Does it matter? She's safe, and she saved us all. That's all I care about, and so should you, Mana." If her words seemed a little harsh, if her eyes a little hard, Setsuna couldn't let it bother her; some prickling urge roiled beneath her skin, feathers rustling beneath her glamour, the demon whispering of _threat, danger, challenge_ where the shrine maidens' eyes met her own.

Aware of the tension in the room, and even more conscious of the disastrous results should easily-provoked tempers reach boiling point, Kaede made a soothing noise, hands spread wide above the water.

"Maa, maa- this one thinks that now is not the time, ne? Perhaps it would be best to leave the speculation to when Negi-dono returns and can answer those questions, de gozaru yo."

Ruffled plumage settling, Setsuna allowed herself to quiet, but could not stop her arms from tightening around her lover. Mana, in turn, snorted dismissively, and turned away. The kunoichi sighed, picturing all too clearly the bloodbath just averted.

Ku fei, ignorant of social climates at the best of times and certainly not paying any more attention than usual to the tense atmosphere, peered thoughtfully about the room. "Hnn. Negi-sensei taking long time. Wonder if bite hard to clean..."

Sayo, swirling about the rafters, giggled. "More likely he and Kotaro-san are fighting in the baths again." This brought a smile to the gathered girls, who grinned at each other, imagining their teacher's ability to get up to mischief with his young friend, who despite his tough demeanour was a puppy at heart.

"Although," said Yue, brow creasing, "I don't get why it had to be Negi-sensei's blood Eva-chan needed; wouldn't anyone's have done? Blood is blood, after all." Added the philosopher, brushing stray strands of damp hair from her face.

_Srrshh. Clack._

Unaware of the shoji opening up behind her, Asuna shook her head. "Nah, that can't be it. I bet you it's to do with magic. Eva's not just a vamp, she's a spooky magic vamp, so she probably needs magic blood more than the normal stuff."

"Which leaves her with limited options," continued Asakura, reporter's instinct kicking in. "I mean, there's what, three mages here? Yue, Konoka and Negi. And Yuetchi was sick, so that put her out of the running," said the paparazzo, counting it out on her slender fingers. "So it was either Negi or Konoka, and considering her crazy swordswoman bodyguard -no offense, Setsuna- it's no wonder she picked the weakest target."

"You're only half right, Kazumi," said Evangeline, looming over the bath in a blur of movement. Behind her, the small lab shone with glaring light, cutting swathes through the cloudly steam and lending an eerie glow to piercing green eyes. "The boya may have been the weaker target, but Konoka's blood -which I have never drunk, and have not had the chance to grow accustomed to- is more potent, and would have been far more... nourishing." Here, the vamp sighed, but her mournful façade didn't quite meet her eyes. "It would have been worth the risk of the birdbrain's wrath, but Chacha directed you towards the boy's blood because Konoka is no use to me anymore. Shame, shame- her blood would have been _sweet_." Shaking her head with improbable regret, her darkling gaze flitted from face to puzzled face.

"No use?" echoed Haruna, eyes flashing behind fogged up glasses. "What do you mean by that?"

Foreboding rising, Setsuna sat up, reaching out a hand to stop the vamp, but was far too late as a wicked grin split red lips, exposing teeth glistening like broken glass.

"You didn't know?" black humour sparkled in fathomless eyes as the black-hearted nosferatu smirked down at the girls. "I only drink _virgin's_ blood."

_Shit,_ thought Setsuna, covering her eyes with a shaking hand as her lover quailed against her. _It's really hit the fan now. There'll be no stopping her now that Eva's confirmed it. I am _so_ going to gut her for this._

Slowly, with the gravity of a train wreck, Haruna rose from the depths of the bath, water cascading in glistening falls down her body, skimpy washcloth long abandoned to the surf. Spinning on the slippery wood, she turned, ample breasts bouncing as she lifted a dripping arm and pointed imperiously at the cowering brunette.

"Oh Gods," whimpered Nodoka. "Haruna, put them away, _please._"

"_Hah!_ I _knew_ it!" Fairly frothing at the mouth, dark eyes lit with rabid fervour, the mangaka jumped on the spot, jiggling, and stabbed her finger repeatedly in her classmate's direction. "You little _minx_! You totally had Negi throw me in detention and then misled me with all this talk about pactios, when the real issue was that you and sword-chick _got it on _behind my back! I can't _believe_ you- what kind of friend are you, getting _fuh-reaky_ with your hot little bodyguard, and not telling me about it!" snapping her fingers, she shook her head disapprovingly. "Shame on you, shame on you losing the big V and not spilling all the goss the first chance you got. I am _soooo_ disappointed in you, Konoka."

Ignoring the young couples' look of horror, and the malicious glee oozing from Evangeline, the perverted schoolgirl turned pensive.

"So tell me: How was it? How did you do it? Was it like this?" making a crude scissoring motion with both hands, Haruna grinned in spastic delight as Konoka flushed crimson to the roots of her hair, Setsuna contrastingly chalk-white.

"This isn't happening," whispered the swordswoman, lips pale and bloodless in her still face. "you're at home, in bed, and this is some horrible dream... you just have to wake up..."

"Actually," said Mana, dark eyes glittering with something like mischief, "judging from the disarray Setsuna's room was in this morning, the state of the bedsheets, and the scratch marks on Setsuna's back, I'd say they went for something more traditional. Missionary, perhaps?"

"Re-he-_heally_?" Haruna, lit up with a fanactiscm akin to religious fervour, shivered, sweat beading on her forehead. "I need a sketchpad," she choked, breath quickening, expression changing in an altogether disturbing manner that made Yue shudder with revulsion.

"Mana!" snapped Konoka, still scarlet, "how could you! I thought we agreed you'd keep your mouth shut about this!"

"As I recall, _ojou-sama_, no money changed hands. I'm a mercenary, remember. Can I help that I'd sell you out to the highest bidder?" Eyes narrowing, she turned to the slightly-unhinged mangaka, who wrapped herself up with trembling arms, panting. "You _are_ going to pay me for this, right?"

"I'll give you half the profit from my next doujin," gasped Haruna, eyes glazed, manga panels flashing through her mind in a slide show of perversion.

Ku Fei, eyes flicking over her aroused classmate, the bathwater, and back up her quivering, dripping body, swallowed nervously, whispered "I like to get out now _s'il vous plait_," and clambered up onto the floorboards, fleeing for the relative safety of the showers.

Asuna, sighing, slipped deeper into the onsen, blowing bubbles in the steaming water, mumbling something that could've been "Gods help us all."

Evangeline, blissful, gazed down happily at the chaos she had wrought.

"Ah, that feels nice. Call it payback, Konoka, for ruining my resort." Tilting her head, she glanced back at the lab behind her. "Hmmm? I think I hear engines. If you'll excuse me ladies, I have my robot maid to attend to. If you see the boya, tell him I expect to see him at breakfast tomorrow, yes? The bedrooms are that way- I'll leave it to you to sort out the _sleeping arrangements_." With a last, suggestive waggle of blonde eyebrows, she sauntered off into the glowing steam.

"Sleeping arrangements?" whispered Nodoka. "There's enough beds for all of us, right?"

"_Ooh!_ I bet you two are totally gonna share a bed tonight! _Hot!_" a thought, no doubt dirty in nature, flitted across her face. Setsuna, impending doom staring her in the face, hid behind Konoka's hair. "If you two start... _you know_... can I watch?" eyes glowing behind her steamed out glasses, she clutched her hands together and fell to her knees. "Please? I won't make any noise, I swear!"

"No one's going to be doing _anything_! Haruna, will you just shut up!" pinching her nose, Konoka scrunched her eyes shut, as though in pain. "I just hope grandpa doesn't hear about this..."

Behind her, Asakura slowly screwed a larger lens onto her camera, careful not to make a noise louder than the faint _sloshhhh-_ing of the water.

"I can see you, Kazumi. Don't even think about it."

"_Crap. _Just one? Please? For the front page?"

"_No!"_

* * *

_As chaos reigned within the steamy depths of Evangeline's bathhouse, and the young couple faced speculation of a most perverted nature, the unnatural night smoothed across the resort's dark-stained sky; the first twinkling of stars, each a glittering fragment of the vampire mage's dark past, sparkled into life against the indigo canvas. As the arguments eventually gave way in the face of determination, peace -of a sort- fell over the Negi-gumi._

_Konoka and Setsuna, exhausted by the day's events, slipped easily into the embrace of sleep, unknowing of the ramifications of their actions and innocent of purpose beyond being together as partners in life, love and magic._

_But, as is often the case, destiny had other plans in store for them; their fate deeply entwined with the as-yet undefined potential sleeping within Konoka herself..._

**

* * *

**

End Part Nine

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **because Mana would totally throw Setsuna to the wolves if offered enough cash. And yes, Haruna would_ totally_ want to watch! XD

As promised, Negi in a skirt. (Sarong. Non-manly wrap-around floral thing that Eva would delight in making him wear and Kotaro would delight in teasing him for.)

I can't promise I won't take forever to update next (as that just seems to jinx me even worse) but I'll do my damndest to make it worth the wait, and if that means gratuitous nudity, then so be it.

Thanks for your patience, and willingness to read it, and as always, thanks for reading!

(Reviews make me work faster! :nudge, nudge, wink, wink:)


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER**: Ken Akamatsu, genius that he is, is the creator of Negima- and also has a really, really hot wife. Seriously, go look her up; that woman is _fine_. (Um, I think the point of this was to say I don't own any characters as mentioned below, I just like screwing around with 'em…)

**WARNING: **Okay, so after some reader input, I feel the need to put this here. This fic is the product of Cloverfield's somewhat-addled mind, and may include the following: _traces of_ _OoC_ (because I like to find character flaws and turn them up to eleven, and will indeed distort any characterisation for my own twisted purposes); _crack_ (because more often than not this was written late at night, or when drugged up on sugar); _elements of porn_ (because I have a dirty, _dirty_ mind and like seeing two girls grope each other); and _bizarre plotlines_ (there's really no excuse for this one, just bear with me). Most significantly, _this fic should be treated as AU_, because that's how it was written; I started writing this fic shortly after reading the Budokai arc of the early chapters of the manga, and though I am indeed following the scanlations as they are released, this fic does _not_. As such, please consider all canon events that take place after Chao's return to the future and the summer break chapters of the manga to not have taken place for the purposes of EB_, including but not limited to_ Asuna being a pretty, pretty princess who may or may not be related to Negi, the whole journey to the magic world and any subsequent pactios, and the sheer awesomeness that is Jack Rakan. Also, please be aware I tend to write really, really long chapters at sporadic intervals, so it is very unlikely this fic will be updated on a regular basis, but _it will be updated_. (Considering one of my friends / sounding boards actually knows where I live and is not afraid to threaten me with leading you all to my doorstep with pitchforks and torches should I fail to update, you should have no fears on that regard). I think that's all I need to warn you about, and if you spot anything else you think should be in here, please let me know.

**PREFACE:** …damn, but that is a big warning.

...

...I've been sick? (Why is it that every preface I write begins with me trying to justify my absurd slowness in updating?)

At any rate, this chapter is blamed on the gf / editor, end-of-semester assignments, exam stress and being sick at home, which, oddly enough combine to make me want to write more even when I should be doing other things such as the aforementioned assignments and studying for the aforementioned exams. At any rate, I think this is close to 20,000-ish words, so it's a fairly big chapter and should keep you all satisfied for a little while.

I hope.

(Sorry for taking so long, guys- I try, but things get in my way.)

Not much more to say, I guess, but that the above warning will probably appear in some shape or form (or possibly just be copy and pasted because I'm lazy like that) into all following chapters, and should hopefully clear up some misunderstandings some of you have had- that said, feel free to PM me with any questions etc you may have, and I will continue to reply to any reviews (at least, the ones that I can; please don't ask me questions in anonymous reviews guys, I can't answer you! -.-;;).

Now that I've rambled on enough, on with the show!

**

* * *

**

**Part Ten**

* * *

_It had started with the eggs._

Cooking breakfast for Negi had been her daily ritual since he'd moved into their dorm room: every morning at six, just after Asuna had fled in a flurry of half-buttoned shirt and unlaced shoes to deliver her papers, she'd roll out of bed and trudge into the kitchen to feed the hungry boy-mage just waking up. It was almost soothing, the familiar rhythm of it; greasing the pan, cracking the eggs and putting the muffins on to toast as the homely smell of tea rose from the pot, wafting through the kitchen as buttery sunlight slid across the tiles.

This morning, much like the mornings before it, had proceeded as usual- sliding two fried eggs, sunny side up and glistening, onto a plate with some muffins and blueberry jam held no more gravity than it ever had before, and nor did pouring the tea into a bone-china cup. Laying the plate before her gleeful teacher, Konoka had smiled and ruffled auburn hair, turning back to gather up her own plate as Negi dug in cheerfully, admiring the gentle billow of the kitchen window curtains in the morning breeze-

-and caught a faint whiff of her own breakfast, suddenly rank and unappetising, and her feet had slipped over the cool tiles as she dashed to the bathroom, the remnants of last night's hotpot climbing up her throat.

"_Konoka-san? Are you all right in there?"_

Leaning her head against the cool mirror, the brunette spat water into the sink, nausea roiling in her gut and mouth tasting of bitter bile. Negi's voice, coloured with worry, faded through the wooden door.

"_I'm coming in, okay? Konoka-san?"_

"I'm alright, Negi. Go finish your breakfast." Splashing water over her face helped a little, but she wasn't surprised to see him standing in the doorway, watching disapprovingly as she smiled weakly.

Eyes flicking from her pale, sweating face to her hands that trembled oh-so-slightly on the sink, it was obvious from the boy's quirked eyebrow he hadn't believed her- but some measure of desperation that shone in dark, expressive eyes prompted him to leave her be.

_She would remain ensconced in the bathroom for the rest of the morning, even after Asuna had returned from her paper-run; it took the pleas of her visiting lover later in the day to convince her to emerge and be put to bed. As afternoon came, she felt better, and made jokes about missing the first day of the holidays in bed, but for the next few days, even the thought of breakfast would make her stomach churn and the room spin before her eyes._

* * *

_The dreams had made it worse._

Coming awake with a faint gasp, Konoka, upright, touched her bedsheet to her face. Small beads of sweat peppered her forehead, her cheeks; wide-eyed in the dark she stared at the dim shapes of the bed frame and blanket, the dark spots on the fabric before her, and listened to the gentle _sqreek_ of springs as Asuna rolled over on the bunk above.

"_Ojou-sama?"_ came the whisper, floating on the breeze from their second-floor window. _"The dreams again?"_

Setsuna, sleeping a full floor below and three rooms to the left, had nonetheless been pulled from a sound sleep by the wordless impression of _panic, distress, mate-in-danger_ imparted to her by the demon's inner senses. Walls were nothing to her now, not in the face of the bond that stretched between the hanyou and her magus. Moving silently through the dorm, the swordswoman had flown out and up, now perching upon the narrow windowsill with perfect grace as she had for the four nights previous.

"I'm okay, Set-chan. It wasn't as bad as last time."

Near-silent, the mage's voice still carried as wisps of sound to sensitive ears; the scrape of fabric against damp skin as Konoka dabbed tears from startled eyes made her feathers rustle where they lay against her back.

"Kono-chan." Not quite an admonishment, for Setsuna could never deny or protest anything her girlfriend did, but the faintest edge of disbelief hummed along her words all the same.

"Really. I'm _fine_. You should be in bed, it's late, and you've got to train with Asuna tomorrow, you don't want to get worn out-"

With a sigh, the half-demon cocked her head to the side. "Kono-chan, Asuna cannot wear me out, even should she try her best. I think you overestimate my condition, and underestimate yours. If you are still dreaming so vividly that you wake afraid, maybe you should-"

Shaking her head, the brunette interrupted, as forcefully as possible _sotto voce_. "Should nothing, Set-chan. It'll pass; I know it. Just a few more days..." she trailed off as Asuna made a noise caught between a snore and a cough, best described as _snerkk-k-k-k_, and rolled back across her bed with a squeak of springs.

"Go back to sleep, Set-chan. I am, and I'll see you in the morning."

Silence for a moment, as the hanyou shifted on her narrow ledge; the gentle susurration of stretching wings whispered through the moving curtains.

"As you wish, ojou-sama. But for the record, I don't believe you. Goodnight, Kono-chan; sweet dreams."

"I hope so," was her last whisper, and as her bodyguard launched herself upwards in silence, Konoka lay back against her pillow. True to her word, she slept, but her brow remained creased long after her eyes drifted shut.

_The dreams, each a riot of colour, sound and chaotic movement in contrast to the normally muted canvas of her subconscious, would plague her for three more nights, and by the third week of their semester break, would leave her entirely. Still, the sense of disquiet that had accompanied them would remain; filling the young woman with the belief that something important would happen soon, the vivid images that spilt across her dreamscape a harbinger of events yet to come._

* * *

_The blood would finish it; at this point she knew something was wrong._

It was a particularly hot night; as she half-woke to toss aside her blankets for the umpteenth time, the glare of the laundry light had squeezed along the seams of her eyelids and ushered her from her bed.

"Asuna?" tiptoeing across the room, careful not to disturb a sleeping boy-mage in the loft above, the brunette slid through the door left ajar and came face to face with a somewhat abashed red-head, dressing gown-clad and scrubbing panties in the laundry trough.

"Oh. Uh, sorry to wake you. I had a... _accident_." Scowling at frothing water, the red head sighed and wrung fabric between soapy hands.

Nodding understanding, Konoka sighed and fetched the bucket down from the shelves above them. "Cold water, and a scoop of laundry powder works better than hand soap for bloodstains, you know. If you let it soak overnight, you just have to rinse in the morning."

As water rumbled from the tap, bubbling into the bucket, the two young women leant against the washing machine and dryer and smiled wryly at one another.

"Guess I lost track of time again. Wasn't expecting it so early, and I got caught out." Asuna stretched with a popping of joints, rolling up into the movement and yawning wide. "Normally, when you get yours I know it's coming, but I didn't notice this time. When'd you finish?"

A shiver of foreboding crept down Konoka's spine then; leaning over to turn off the tap and rest her forehead against the cool wall, the mage bit her lip.

"I haven't. I haven't even started yet," she whispered, unwilling to say the words even as she admitted them. "I don't remember the last time I did... before Eva's resort? Before exams? Before the semester ended, I think."

"You know, that's probably not a good thing." Said the redhead after a long pause in which the brunette sloshed panties and pyjama bottoms into the bucket, stirring up the foaming water with darting, anxious hands. "I mean, sure I hate getting it during summer... makes me feel all gross and it's annoying if I want to go to the beach, but if you've missed it, why didn't you say something?"

"Because I didn't think... I mean, we've been so stressed out lately. Exams and holiday plans and the class party and Negi's birthday and, and I haven't even had that much to spend with Set-chan lately, she's been really busy with Mana and the security patrol." Gripping the plastic edge of the tub, feeling it creak under her hands, Konoka sighed again, a restless _whoosh_ of breath through gritted teeth. "I've missed it before, during exams, but it's never been this late and it's always come again later..."

Watching tears prick in eyes squeezed shut, Asuna smiled sadly. "Hey, hey- it's okay. Maybe it's just playing up again, you know? And I'm sure you and featherhead are gonna have more time to be together, you've just been busy with everyone else's crap lately." Stepping forward to wrap her closest friend in a hug, the redhead ruffled dark hair gently as Konoka choked down sobs. "Maybe when Eva fixes the resort up and starts letting us back in, you two can go away for a weekend in there, hmm?"

Hiccupping into a damp dressing gown, the young woman nodded.

"I think you should go see the doctor," continued the schoolgirl, rubbing the brunette's back gently. "Get some advice, you know, maybe a herbal supplement or something. These past few weeks have been a bit rough, haven't they?"

A mumbled nod from Konoka and a sleepy promise to book an appointment in the morning mollified Asuna's concern somewhat, and after guiding the stressed-out brunette back to her bunk, she ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower and change of clothes. Stepping out into the dark lounge -Negi's sleepy snores echoing from his loft- she paused mid-step to find Setsuna crouching at the side of her love's bed, pale eyes as awake and determined at two in the morning as though it were midday and sleep a distant thing.

"I was worried," she said, brushing wisps of hair from soft cheeks. "I felt something was bothering her; like it has for a few weeks now. But when I came to check, you were already there..."

Asuna snorted derisively, if quietly. "Of course. I love her too, you know. She was my friend before she was your girlfriend, and I'm not gonna stop worrying about her just 'cause _you're_ here."

The swordswoman smiled at that, and if there was relief pooling in smoky eyes, the redhead chose not to remark on it.

"Get back to your own room before Negi wakes up and busts you for being out this late; I'm going back to bed. G'night."

Inclining her head in a shallow bow, Setsuna smiled, eyes mercurial in the darkness.

"Good night, Asuna."

Disappearing in a brief rustle of cloth, door closing with barely a _click_, the swordswoman blurred from sight, and Asuna shook her head as she climbed the narrow ladder to her top bunk. Thoughts of her friend's emotional condition soon faded from her mind as she slipped beneath the covers and into sleep.

* * *

_The next morning dawned as morning so often does: softly, a slow warming of air and light that spilt over Mahora in a gentle benediction. Konoka, as promised, rang and booked an appointment with the clinic downtown, not far from the university campus, and made an excuse to dodge both her teacher and her lover (though the latter was not as hard as she had expected; the swordswoman was far too preoccupied with an unusually aggressive Mana, who had declared morning patrol extended after a breach in security the night before) and so found herself in the doctor's surgery at roughly half-past ten on a fine summer's day..._

"Konoe-san...?" the doctor was relatively young, dark hair fluffing over the collar of his jacket, wire-framed glasses resting a little crookedly on his nose. His name tag flashed briefly in the slanting sunlight through the blinds; Konoka squinted a little from the glare as they shook hands. "I'm doctor Kimura. I understand you haven't been to our clinic before?"

"Um, no. I'm usually pretty healthy," she mumbled as he gestured her down to a seat. Perching herself on a rather hard-backed chair, she resisted the urge to twitch, twiddle her thumbs or fiddle with her pants pockets as the doctor scrolled through her file on his desk top.

"Not to worry, Konoe-san. I'm just pulling up your school health records for a quick read-through, and then we'll get down to business, okay?"

"Uh, sure." Mumbled the brunette, and then flushed as Kimura glanced at her quizzically. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous. It's been a while since I've needed a check-up." Scratching her head, Konoka attempted a laugh, but ended up making a kind of dry, rattling noise. Licking her lips, she regretted leaving her bottle of water on the kitchen bench as her throat seemed to clog with sand.

"If you'd like a drink, Konoe-san, you're welcome to help yourself to the water cooler by the door," said the doctor, somewhat amused as the brunette leapt up and made a beeline for the paper cups. Obviously used to nervous patients, he took no especial notice of her jitters and turned back to the records on screen.

_Let's see... Konoe Konoka... granddaughter of the dean, mother deceased, father alive and living in Kyoto. Only child; no close relatives either. Boarder with the Mahora Girl's High School. No known allergies or medical issues. Mild case of pneumonia from falling into a river at age five, but no long term effects. Last recorded incidence of illness was of influenza during ninth grade, and a seasonal flare-up of hay fever._

Listening to the young woman gulp down water like it was whisky, he smirked a little.

_Either she's afraid of doctors, or there's something up that has nothing to do with her medical history._

"So... Konoe-san, what seems to be the problem?"

_Pbshhtt-!_

Suddenly dripping, the brunette gaped for a moment or two, and coughed. "Um, I just wasn't feeling well and... um..." trailing off, she looked down at her sandals, studying painted toenails with great scrutiny. Noting the dull flush that snaked up her neck, Kimura nodded and adjusted his glasses, before smiling at the girl in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

"I understand you may feel uncomfortable talking to a male doctor, but I assure you, I am a professional. According to the nurse who booked your appointment, you mentioned that your period has been late and you had a spate of nausea for a few days, correct?"

The young heiress squeaked in an affirmative manner.

"I see. Has this happened before? Is your cycle regular? Do you often miss your period during times of stress?"

Her gaze flicked about the room, alighting on door, walls, carpet, posters -anywhere but himself- and Kimura had to hold back a chuckle.

"Sometimes, I guess."

"Okay then. Has anything changed for you recently? Anything out of the norm?"

Konoka froze then, cup in hand, unsure exactly how to answer that question.

_Does dealing with a moody vampire, a boy-mage who is also my teacher and a talking ermine count as 'out of the norm'? Not to mention the ninja, the robot and my very inhuman half-demon girlfriend..._

"Umm... no?"

"Please, sit down, Konoe-san." Indicating the chair across from him, Kimura straightened his glasses and folded his hands atop his desk as he waited for her to take a seat. Konoka sat, and fluffed out her skirt a little more than was necessary, taking time to straighten her clothes and smooth back her hair before meeting the young doctor's gaze with some hesitancy.

"No changes in any of your... relationships, perhaps?"

Something like foreboding chased the butterflies from her stomach then, and left twitching uncertainty in its place; the blush faded from her cheeks as the faint smirk on Kimura's lips made itself known. "Um... where exactly are you going with this, doctor?"

"Konoe-san, your symptoms are not uncommon for young women your age, especially those from the all-girl's high school. Mahora Girl's High School participated, along with the boy's school, in the cross-campus sports festival towards the end of last semester, am I correct?"

Confused, Konoka frowned and leant forward. "Yes, but what does that have to do with-"

"I'm asking if you have engaged in intercourse recently, Konoe-san."

The paper cup in her hands slid gently through her fingers, hitting the floor with a faint _crump_; water splashed up and over the front panels of the desk, Konoka's skirt and the doctor's shoes, before swiftly soaking into the cream carpet in a spreading puddle of wetness. Konoka's mouth dropped open even as her eyebrows shot up, blood roaring in her ears as bright spots of colour burnt themselves into her cheeks.

_He- I- Wha-?_

Speechless, the young woman could only stare as Kimura smiled. "It's rather simple; your symptoms as you described them to the nurse -late menstrual flow, vivid dreams and nausea- are all indicative of _pregnancy_, Konoe-san-"

Snapping out of her humiliated stupor, the young woman lurched in her seat "You don't understand! It _couldn't_ be that!"

"Oh? Have you, or have you not, engaged in sexual congress, Konoe-san?"

She shrunk back, hesitant.

_Uh, we _did_... uh, so I guess..._

"Yes," came the whisper, accompanied by pale cheeks and downcast eyes, "Once..."

And with those words came the thought, a trifle guilty perhaps, _why do I feel ashamed to say that? I'm not... am I? Of course not! I love Set-chan, and I'm not embarrassed about being with her, not at all. But, uh, I just don't feel comfortable talking about it with _this_ guy..._

Crossing his arms, Kimura rocked back in his chair with a smirk, ignoring the dampness slowly seeping through his socks. "Well, there you are. I'm assuming you weren't _safe_ during the act, yes?"

The brunette blinked. Twice. _What is he getting at...?_

"We locked the doors," said Konoka, slowly and with great care, as though explaining a difficult concept to an idiot, "and I know that Mahora is one of the safer schools in the western region, so-"

The doctor sighed. "Not exactly what I meant, Konoe-san. Did you use protection?"

"Uh... I don't think so...?" Sweat beaded along Kimura's hairline as Konoe's oblivious, innocent face creased with thought. "What exactly was I supposed to be protecting?"

_Slapping one's forehead in front of one's well-intentioned but misunderstood patient is not the way to gain her confidence, no matter how deserving the gesture is..._

"Perhaps I should speak more simply. Did you use a condom, Konoe-san?"

Konoka, mind preoccupied with the mechanics of sex between two women and unable to imagine how a condom fit into said mechanics in any way, shape or form, frowned, her youthful brow wrinkling prettily. "Of course not! How on earth we were supposed to use one of _those_?"

_Breathe deeply,_ thought Kimura. _Remember what they told you in medical school. Never underestimate the sheer stupidity of your patients._

"You understand that without using contraceptive methods -such as a condom- it is possible to fall pregnant? That just once is enough?"

Coming slowly to the realisation that the good doctor was not on the same page as her, the brunette sighed and stood, brushing droplets of water from her legs. "Doctor Kimura, I don't think you understand. Even if I did have sex without a condom, _I_ _cannot be pregnant._ It's not _possible_._" _Slinging her handbag up and onto her shoulder, she shook her head. "Thank you for your time, but I honestly don't think you can help me."

Kimura, jumping up as Konoka turned for the door, slammed his chair back into the wall. "Konoe-san! I assure you, it is not only a possibility, but pregnancy is very likely from the symptoms you have described." Waving his hands about, very nearly cracking his head on the pot-plant hanging above his desk, the doctor paced angrily back and forth. "You _need_ to take a pregnancy test! Unless there's something you know that I don't about the nature of _conception_ -and since _I'm_ the one with the degree here, I'm going to say there _isn't_- there's no reason for you to be so confident!"

Resting her hand on the door knob, Konoka sighed. _I must _not_ bang my head on the door. He doesn't get it. I'm sure he's a nice guy when he's not being so... vehement..._

"Doctor, I don't think you fully understand the situation here," chirped Konoka. "_I had sex with a girl._" Smiling sweetly, the brunette stepped out of the consultation roomand shut the door with a gentle click, leaving an open-mouthed Kimura frozen in her wake.

* * *

By the time Konoka returned to the Mahora dorms, the midday sun soared above the world in a blur of brilliance, bleaching the sky to a faded blue. Sunlight heated the floor in slats of light where it fell through shuttered blinds across the lounge room floor, and sweating from her long walk in the heat, the brunette collapsed onto the couch a scarce moment after kicking her shoes off.

"Hot," she moaned to the empty room as she slumped into the cushions, "it's too damn _hot_..."

Lying back, she let the air conditioner ruffle her hair, blowing brown locks across her face and into her eyes. Slowly, the sweat beading in the small of her back dried and left her marginally cooler as the temperature control did its work.

"_Pfft_," said Konoka, blowing a few stray strands from her mouth even as she scanned the room. Although she knew neither of her roommates were home -Negi was back at the school doing whatever it was teachers did over the semester break and Asuna had said something about covering a colleague's shift earlier- it was still a little strange to be in their unit by herself; normally the small corner of Mahora she called her own hummed with activity, but with most of the girls home for the holidays and her Set-chan busy, she felt almost... _lonely_.

_Sheesh, Konoka; how childish can you get? If this were a school week you'd be pleading for some time alone to chill out. Take advantage of it while you can... get yourself some lemonade and chocolate from your secret stash and kick back for a little while. After the shambles that was your doctor's appointment, you deserve it sister!_

Deciding that her inner voice obviously knew what it was talking about, the young mage glided over to the kitchen, skirt swishing, humming a snatch of music she'd heard on the TV while she poured herself a cold drink. Digging out the tin she hid her chocolate in from the back of the fridge, and sprawling out onto the couch, she tucked her feet up on the coffee table. Wriggling her toes in the stream of cool air blowing from the aircon unit, she sighed happily, savouring the chocolate slowly melting on her tongue.

_Mmmm... Caramel-y..._

Slowly, as the sweet after-taste faded away, her contented smile faded too. A chill, entirely unrelated to the climate control, crept up her arms in a wave of goosebumps. Feeling strangely despondent, the brunette set down her treat tin and folded her arms behind her head.

"This is stupid. There's no way that arrogant jerk even knew what he was talking about. So what if I'm late, it's probably just stress that's doing it... girls _can't_ do _that_ to other girls anyway. Right...?" Listening to her words ring out in a room that was all-too-empty, prickling nervousness twisted in her stomach. Squashing it down, she forced a laugh and sat up straighter. "Of course right!" Shaking her head, she took a gulp of lemonade perhaps a little too fast, and choked as the bubbles exploded on her tongue and rushed up her nose.

_Pbshhtt-!_

Ten minutes later, a soda-drenched Konoka was stripped down to her lacy unmentionables in the bathroom, furiously dabbing at a lemonade soaked bra with a handtowel.

_Hell. Of course it wouldn't be colour fast. Of course it would stain. Of course it would be the nice new one that I bought last week on the off chance I would get into a situation for Set-chan to see it..._

The young mage had, indeed, spent a considerable amount of money in the past few weeks on expanding her lingerie collection, all done with her hanyou lover in mind; although the both of them had not spent a night alone with each other since their pactio -Asuna, Mahora's multitudes of exams and Setsuna being placed on extended patrolling duty all combining to be a very effective preventative to any form of adult-type touching- the heiress had not lost hope, and sought to ensure that should any aforementioned touching take place, she would be appropriately attired and fully capable of knocking her Set-chan's socks off.

To that effect, her current underwear ensemble consisted of a dark blue bra and brief set, patterned with lacy butterflies and now spattered with lemonade, trailing streaks of blue dye over creamy skin where wet fabric clung to her.

Cursing in a manner sure to shock her friends were they to hear it, Konoka yanked off her damp underwear and dropped them in the basin, wrenching on the taps with barely-disguised irritation.

_Great. So now I'm naked, streaked with dye and still kinda twitchy about that jerk Kimura being a presumptive ass. Way to spend my relaxing afternoon..._

Slumping against the cabinet while the sink filled, water slowly stained blue by excess dye, her idle gaze fell to the bathtub.

A thought, floral-scented and candlelit, struck her.

_Well, I do need to get clean..._

Another ten minutes later, a somewhat cheerier Konoe Konoka was lathering herself with scented lotion, happily streak-free and enjoying the coolness of iced water on her skin. It being far too hot, she'd taken the initiative and filled her bath with cold water and a bowlful of ice cubes from the freezer, a liberal splash of her 'special occasion' bubble bath and had dotted the room with fragrant candles, casting guttering shadows across the tiles. The slippery feel of chilled bubbles and the occasional sliver of ice sliding over her was a different sensation and a little sensual; feeling sleek and sexy, the brunette slid lower into the water, shivering a little at the not-unpleasant temperature contrast as her head slowly came to rest against the lip of the bath.

"Now if only Set-chan were here with me. Now that would be a _perfect_ bath..."

A curling strand of damp hair clung to her cheek where it had slipped free from her hair clip, and brushing her soap-slicked hand across her cheek to tuck it back brought a sigh to her lips.

They'd spent so little time together of late... for all that their relationship had taken a step forward, it seemed the everyday stress of day-to-day life seemed intent on setting them back. Every moment between them shared in the past few weeks had been as though stolen; hurried, heart-pounding and with anxious anticipation of being caught, all of which was not exactly conducive to romance. Not that it had been for lack of trying; the two of them had stolen away for any number of hidden trysts, only to be interrupted each and every time. As such, Setsuna -with no small amount of regret in her soft voice- had suggested that until they could find some time and place to be truly alone, perhaps they should both try to curb their desires and keep things platonic.

_("Not forever, Kono-chan- I am ashamed to admit I could not hold myself back that long, and I would not be so foolish as to risk the possibility of losing my senses and ravishing you on your desk in the middle of English Class." Although a trickle of humour threaded through her voice, heat had stirred behind smoky eyes then, ripples in silver-gilt shadows hinting at currents that ran strong and deep far, far below the deceptively calm surface, and belied her cool façade. Konoka had shivered to see that look, and felt a sigh trickle past her lips as a warm hand traced her cheek with sweet tenderness. "There are many things I want to do to you, Kono-chan. Things I want to try; things that make my nights restless and make me _sweat_..." Sudden yearning flooded her then; a tingling rush of blood to her lower body, pooling as liquid heat at the desire thick in her lover's voice. Setsuna, fine tremors shaking the hand that cupped Konoka's cheek, slowly lowered her arm, fingertips grazing bare skin where singlet strap met milky shoulder._

"_...but now is neither the time nor place. I have to ask you to wait for me, Kono-chan; wait until things have slowed down. Summer break is coming soon, and I should be coming up for some time off from patrol. Perhaps we can go away for a few days, just the two of us...")_

The promise in her Set-chan's voice had sustained her, kept her from fraying at the seams from the shifting need that swept up and over every time they were together; even quiet evenings on the couch with Asuna and Negi had been rife with unfulfilled tension.

But that had been weeks ago now, and her nights weren't getting any shorter.

_If only things were quieter. If only we had time to ourselves. If only we could run away for a night, and I could get you all to myself..._

"Set-chan..."

Eyes drifting closed, her wishful thoughts shifted, blurring into treasured memories of the gentle caress of sword-calloused hands against her cheek, her lips, the curve of her waist as strong arms drew her closer...

Trembling hands slid over her arms in self-embrace; Konoka tipped her head back as soft fingertips drifted across her bare skin, trailing over her stomach in an echo of past pleasure. Soft heat, flickering inside, flared; biting her lip, the mage swallowed back a moan as she arched back into an imaginary embrace, dreaming of her lover's lips pressing kisses across her shoulders, her neck...

"Ah... _Set-chan_..."

Water sloshed up and over the sides of the bath. Her shadow, cast by candlelight, danced across the tiles. The sounds of the world outside -the crackling of the candle flames, the buzzing of the cicadas, the suspicious rustling from the laundry hamper- faded away, her hands dipping lower as heated recollection drew her up into the lofty heights of fantasy-

_(Her Set-chan, smoky-eyed and languorous, pinned beneath her on the rooftop, desire wheeling drunkenly through her blood as soft white skin yielded to her touch, her lover's slim body arching beneath her...)_

-where she peaked in a delicious moment of ecstasy, pulse quickening, breath shortening, dreaming of the sweetness of her Set-chan's touch-

(_fingers scrunching in silky, snowy locks as heated lips and tongue scorched her to the core with stroking caresses, wings beating lazily above her as blunt fingernails trailed fire over her trembling thighs, the sweet fluttering inside building up, up, up...)_

-only to be brought crashing down as Kimura's voice rang in her ears.

_("You need to take a pregnancy test! ...there's no reason for you to be so confident!")_

The water stilled. Slowly, she drew her arms up and rested them on the edge of the bath, seated half-upright in irritation, bubbles sloshing down her soap-slick body in a wave of froth.

(Unnoticed by the Konoka, the suspicious noises from the dirty-clothes hamper ceased; considering how quiet they were previously, and how... engrossed... the young mage had been, it was unlikely she had heard them at all.)

_Damn. And it was just getting good too..._

Being a healthy young woman with healthy urges, Konoka was finding her current enforced abstinence a hard burden to bear. Having been awoken to the exquisite delight of a lover's touch on the most singular evening of her life and now left without, the young mage had spent her nights troubled, tossing and turning, dreams flitting across vivid fantasies of all of those wonderful, licentious ideas she would love to share with her girlfriend...

...only to have a rare moment of self-indulgence stolen from her by her own treacherous repetition of an impossible situation!

"You'd think I'd let it go already!" she grumbled, crossing arms over her breasts with some force. "Stupid, _stupid_ doctor and stupid, _stupid_ me for dwelling on the impossible! There's no way Set-chan and I made a baby- unless everything I learnt in human biology was wrong, there's _no way_ for a girl to get another girl pregnant!"

"_Actually, ane-san, that's not exactly true..."_

Slowly, her head turned. Aware that to acknowledge the voice issuing from the corner of the bathroom was to admit she had been observed during one of her most _private_ moments, the mage felt chilled by more than the water as the lid of the basket slid off and _thunk_ed onto the floor.

"_Eh he he_... This is kind of awkward," said Chamo, popping up from the piles of dirty clothing. Horrified embarrassment, of a sort the young mage hadn't felt since wetting the bed at four years old, snaked through her as a dull flush of red beneath her pale skin.

As the rodent scratched his head sheepishly, Konoka shuddered, the cold of shame bursting into burning rage at the thought that the _sneaky sonuvabitch was watching me! _Watching_ me! I'll turn him into a fur hat!_

Chamo, aware of the disturbing shift in her mood as Konoka's face darkened with temper, backed up a little within the confines of the basket. "Uh, l-let's not be _hasty_, ane-san... I wasn't actually intending to, uh, catch you in _the act_, as it were- I just happened to be here and things sort of got out of hand..."

Rising from the bath as an enraged Venus from the surf, bubbles cascading down her water-slicked curves, Konoka pinned the small creature to the wall with an incendiary _look_ as she stepped neatly onto the bathmat and wrapped herself in a soft towel plucked from the cabinet.

(_Not just _a_ look_, thought Chamo, _surely this is how Goddesses glared at mortals foolish enough to catch them bathing... I think I'm going to die. Sorry, Negster- looks like I won't see you become a master mage after all...)_

"Chamo," said Konoka sweetly, now modestly covered from shoulders to calves, "you're going to explain exactly what you meant by that comment, so help me, or I'm going to use you as a _dishrag_. Also, _don't think I don't know_ _what you were doing in there_," she added, voice a venomous purr that set his fur on edge, "and if I catch you sniffing our panties again, I'm going to borrow Yuunagi from Set-chan and skin me a _genuine ermine-trimmed coat_!"

Brown eyes smouldering with the promise of violence in a manner far more intimidating than Chamo would have expected, the small ermine-fey swallowed.

"Y-you got it, ane-san," he squeaked, small animal instincts screaming _Flee! Flee! For the love of God, flee!_ in the face of the unexpected predator in Konoe Konoka.

"Now, I'm going to get dressed. _You_ are going to go wait for me in the lounge room. You will not peek in on me, or attempt to spy on me in any manner, else I will follow through on my threat earlier- _don't think I won't!_" the last a honeyed snarl that sent waves of fearful shivers pouring over the small ermine. "Got it?"

Chamo nodded furiously, tiny heart stuttering in his chest at the cresting fury in brown eyes.

"Good. _Now get the hell out of my bathroom!"_

"_Ack!_ Right away, ane-san!"

* * *

"Is it just me, or has the commander been more on edge than normal today?" whispered Kotaro, ears twitching conspiratorially. Setsuna cast a sideways glance at the young hanyou, adjusting the cloth sheath that held Yuunagi. The pair were following the woman in question through the Mahora grounds, travelling an unmarked path through the forest that would eventually lead them to the Tatsumiya Shrine. The warmth of the day was starting to leach through the woods now, the sharp scent of pine-sap filling the air, and though their small group walked mostly through dappled shadows, fine droplets of sweat had started to bead on Setsuna's brow.

"Kota-kun, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." That said, the swordswoman _had_ noticed that Mana was a little more trigger-happy than usual. The Puerto-Rican had shot five tree stumps so far, believing them to have been "watching her", and upon encountering a stray demon that had slipped through the wards, had nailed it to a boulder with no less than three thrown hunting knives in one blur of sharp, deadly movement.

"Oh, come on!" hissed the dog-eared boy, "she's been jumping at shadows all morning! I think something happened to her last night. Why else would we be called out for extended patrol _and_ make an unscheduled detour to the shrine?"

Setsuna, stepping onto a twig with a crisp _crack_, opened her mouth to give a rebuttal- and was rudely interrupted as Mana, dark eyes flashing maniacally, spun on the spot and raised her handguns.

_Blam-blam-blam! Blam-blam-blam! Blam-blam-blam!_

Grabbing Kotaro's collar, Setsuna dropped like a stone as the tree behind them exploded into wood pulp. Covering her head from raining shards of pine, the swordswoman took a shallow breath, trying to ignore well-honed instincts that demanded she flee.

_If I run now, she'd shoot me. Just have to lie here and wait till she runs out of ammo._

_Blam-blam-blam! Blam-blam-blam! Blam-blam-blam!_

"Ah crap-!" whimpered Kotaro, ears flat against his skull. "That really _hurts_!"

Setsuna frowned. _I'm sure I grabbed him before any bullets grazed him- oh, his ears. Right. Dog-like hearing and all that._

"She'll be out soon. Cover your ears, it might help-"

_Chk-! Chk-chk-chk! Chk-chk!_

Mana, blinking, pulled up her gun; as she watched smoke curl from the barrel her eyes slowly cleared, whatever paranoia that had possessed her losing its grip. Setsuna raised her head, and repressed a smile. Mana's skin was perhaps too dark to clearly show a blush, but the look of almost painful chagrin that flicked briefly across her features was telling enough.

Holstering her pistols unhurriedly, and giving no indication that any of her actions had been instinctual or unintentional in any way, the dusky mercenary flicked her hair back from her face, her cool composure returning. Without even an apology, she turned and continued up the hilly path they followed, leaving Setsuna to help her younger patrol member up from the leaf litter. Before long, Mana had disappeared between the dappled trees.

"Man, I am so tired of people shooting dangerous stuff over my head," muttered Kotaro, brushing dirt and mulch from his knees and elbows. "Thanks for the save, though."

"You're welcome," said Setsuna, a touch distantly as she resettled Yuunagi on her shoulder; the air of distraction about her shrine maiden classmate was beginning to make her somewhat uncomfortable. Even cloaked as she was in the thickest glamour she could conjure (which, whilst nowhere near as confining as her seal had been, muffled her senses enough that the demon inside did not rise with every provocation, and thus helped to keep her sane in the everyday sensory overload that was Mahora) she had felt a brief, scattered pulse of _chi_ behind her at the same moment her shoe had crunched down upon a fallen branch- obviously the mercenary had felt it too, and reacted accordingly.

_Someone is following us, and they are using the sounds we make to mask their passage through the woods. I don't feel that they are a threat, but it's clear that Mana does. If something did happen last night, it happened within the wards, so it came from inside the school grounds, which suggests our stalker is human- or, at the very least, not a creature of major magical ability. I am beginning to have some doubts about the overall humanity of Mahora students..._

Kotaro, straightening his back with a chorus of snapping pops, jerked his head to the side, ears cocked. "C'mon- commander's getting ahead of us, and we've still got to get Ku Fei-ne-san from her rounds near the lake. You take the left; I'll take the right, yeah?"

Nodding her assent, Setsuna let her tightly reined senses slip loose a little; enough for sharp definition to bleed through to her eyes were once she saw blurred shadows. More-than-human reflexes gave her speed faster than a trained athlete, and it was the work of a mere moment to find the trail of broken twigs and crunched leaves Mana had left underfoot.

Melting into the shadows, she darted through the trees, dimly aware of Kotaro off to the side. A faint ripple in the flow of chi towards the mountains suggested that their unseen visitor followed as well.

_I have my suspicions. I don't think you mean any harm, and kami know I have enough issues of my own to deal with, but Mana is one of the few friends I have, and I will not see her unduly hurt by your actions. _A faint smile creased her lips then, as she swerved to dodge a nest of thin branches. _A stressed out Mana is kind of funny though. At least, when's she's run out of bullets._

Picking up the pace a little, the swordswoman ignored her itching wings; day and night patrols such as she had been assigned recently meant hours upon hours confined in smothering glamour, leaving her feeling stifled and uncomfortable.

It had been _weeks_ since she'd fully dropped her human façade and loosed her wings to fly...

Pushing aside such wistful thoughts with a shake of her head, Setsuna lowered her head and let her thoughts drift to more pleasant things.

_With luck, if we get this all sorted out, I might be able to skip out early, and assuming I can get Asuna to distract Negi-sensei for a few hours, maybe I can take Kono-chan out for ice-cream._

Another smile, softer and far gentler than her previous smirk, smoothed over her face.

_I hope you're enjoying your day, Kono-chan, and I hope we can enjoy some time together this afternoon..._

* * *

It was not unusual for Asuna to come home to chaos after work; in fact, it was more common for their small apartment in the Mahora dorms to be in complete disarray rather than clean and tidy. So the redhead didn't bat an eyelid at the cushions scattered over the floor, the overturned chairs or the chocolate slowly melting into the carpet. What was surprising was seeing _Konoka_ chasing a petrified Chamo around the lounge room; usually Negi was the source of the mess, not her domestically-minded housemate.

"_Come back here you waste of fur! I'm going to turn you into a coat!"_

Red-faced and enraged, the brunette leapt over the coffee table. Skirt flaring, she shrieked and, brandishing a small footstool, tried to smear the ermine fairy into the carpet. Chamo, squeaking in terror, darted underneath the couch in a furry blur; Konoka, going far too fast to stop, barrelled into the seat with a loud crash.

_Wham!_

"Okay, what's he done this time?" Asuna dumped her knapsack on the kitchen bench, shaking her head. "I mean, I know he's a furry little freak, but Negi kinda has a soft spot for him, and I really don't want have to put up with him crying, so can't we just calm down a little here?"

Konoka, sprawled on the floor, took no notice of the redhead; up to her shoulders under the couch, she grunted with effort, and managed to grab the squirmy rodent about the middle. Rocking back on her knees, she shot a killer glare at the creature gripped in white-knuckled hands, indifferent to his quaking terror.

"_Ane-san! You don't want to turn me into a jacket! I haven't got enough fur! Ack-!"_

Wrapping her hands about Chamo's thin neck, Konoka choked down a sob. Incoherent and upset, she shook the small ermine like a rattle, his small head jerking about on tiny shoulders.

"_Ah-uh-ah-uh-ah! A-ane-s-san! P-please s-stop!"_

Asuna, starting to get worried now, hurried over. "Hey, hey- Konoka, what's wrong? Geez, I haven't seen you lose it this bad before. Did something happen at the doctor's?"

Trembly and tearful, the brunette sniffed, bottom lip quivering. "Asuna...?" Ducking her head, tears dripped down Konoka's cheeks as she flung Chamo aside, the ermine _thwack_ing into the living room wall with a surprisingly meaty thump. Leaning back, she wrapped her arms around herself, Asuna crouching down to brush tears from her cheeks as the distraught brunette tipped her head back.

"Konoka, whatever's wrong, you can tell me. I'm your best friend- whatever it is, I'm sure we can work something out between us, hey?"

Nodding, the young mage wiped her nose on her sleeve, and took a deep breath. "Asuna," said Konoka, tears still rolling down her cheeks, "I think I'm _pregnant_."

_Whack!_

Kagurazaka Asuna had been training in kendo for a few years now, thanks to her own efforts and those of Setsuna's. As such, her upper body strength was slightly more impressive than that of an average high school girl. So when the slap came, her palm connecting with Konoka's cheek with all the force she could muster, it was more of an open-handed blow than a girly smack.

Konoka, reeling, toppled over; splayed hands caught her on the edge of a cushion before her head cracked against the arm of the couch. Slowly, as the ringing in her ears died away and the sharp coppery taste of blood trickled through the sheer shock of being hit, she lifted her head, brown eyes wide and startled. Tonguing the small cut to the inside of her cheek, she raised a trembling hand to cup her reddened face.

"You... you _hussy!_"

Red-faced and incandescent with a fury that Konoka could neither understand nor justify, Asuna lowered her trembling hand. "How could you? How _could_ you? _Setsuna loves you!_" Tears, glittering in the afternoon light, stood out in mismatched eyes.

"_Wha...?"_ the sound slipped quietly from the brunette's mouth as she sat, sprawled and stunned upon the floor, as the redhead before her jabbed an accusing finger at her.

"I can't believe you would do that! I thought you cared about her _so much_ you'd give up _anything_ to be with her, and _now you've gone out and slept with some guy and gotten yourself knocked up?_ _Unbelievable_, Konoka, _unbelievable!"_

Shaking her head, the young mage drew herself up, and, leaning heavily on the table, pulled herself upright. Ears still ringing from the slap to her face, Konoka grit her teeth against the pounding in her temples as she faced her best friend.

"Asuna, I don't know _what_ you're talking about; I _haven't_ cheated on Set-chan, and I certainly haven't gone out and_ 'gotten myself knocked up_'-"

"_Yeah right!_" snapped the redhead, arms crossed angrily over her chest, cheeks flushed high with colour. "I may be dumb but I'm not an _idiot,_ Konoka- I know where babies come from, and _sure as hell_ don't believe the _stork_ paid you a visit-"

"_Will you just shut up for a minute!"_

Arms shaking by her side, fists balled, the young heiress shook with barely restrained temper, brown eyes narrowed and dark. "Don't you _dare_ assume anything, Asuna, when you don't know the whole _story_! I have _not_ had sex with anyone but Set-chan, and _not once_ since the night of our pactio! There's only _one person_ I could've gotten pregnant by, and that's _her_!" it was Konoka's turn to shed tears now, and she did, fat beads rolling down her cheeks and making her eyes puffy. Drawing a deep breath through her clenched teeth, she forced her hands to go slack and pressed them flat against her legs. "I was worried about what the doctor said to me, about how I could be pregnant when I know that it's not physically possible, so I was talking to myself in the bath about it-"

Asuna's brow creased. "Wait, why were you having a bath in the middle of the day-?"

"Don't interrupt!" snapped the brunette with enough force to make Asuna flinch. "-and Chamo _just so happened to be in the laundry hamper at the time_, and he overheard me, and told me I was _wrong_." Running her hands through her hair, the young mage choked back a strangled sob. "Apparently, it's possible for mages and their partners to conceive a child during a permanent pactio, regardless of their genders, which he _conveniently_ forgot to mention to us, _because he didn't think it was important at the time_."

Here, her gaze sharpened and she speared the dazed rodent to the wall with a razored glare.

Chamo, already twitching with terror, felt his heart stutter in his small, furry chest.

"Ane-san, please, I didn't think it was very likely that it would happen!" holding up small paws placatingly, the ermine tried to back even further into the wall, flattening against the plaster. "It's only happened a few times in recorded history, just something of a _side-effect_, really-"

"_A side-effect? A side-effect?_ A side-effect gives you _pimples_ or a tendency to _bloat_- A SIDE-EFFECT DOES _NOT GIVE YOU A CHILD!_" roared Konoka, red-faced and strung out, hands trembling as she stormed across the lounge room and wrapped her fingers around the cowering rodent's throat. Burning up with more fury than she had ever known, flames eating away at the core of everything she had believed, she started to shake, small ermine jerking in her twitching grasp. The stress of recent events _(exams, her illness, the memory of what devastation had been wreaked upon Evangeline's resort, the urging from Negi to re-summon an artefact she hadn't known existed and had no idea how to control, the aching distance forced upon herself and her lover, Asuna's accusations, and now Chamo's lackadaisical attitude towards the terrifying prospect of being pregnant)_ was Just. Too. Much.

Fingernails dug into fur. Tendons, drawn tight across her shoulders and neck twitched in spasmodic strain. Heat, boiling up inside, washed through her blood, leaving her dizzy as blackness bled in from the corner of her vision. The young mage gasped something that could've been a curse, and toppled over, Chamo still clutched tightly in her bloodless fingers.

"_Konoka!"_

* * *

Setsuna, crippled by a sudden pain that ripped across her chest, nearly tumbled out of her tree in shock.

_What-? Kono-chan-?_

Talons digging into bark and green wood, the half-demon clung on for dear life as curling tendrils of blackness trickled into her line of vision like ink through water. Glamour rippling under the strain of holding herself still as instincts, buried in the tugging, pulling sensation rooted behind her breastbone, flared into life and flat-out _demanded_ she loose her wings and fly to her girlfriend's side as something was clearly _horribly, horribly wrong_-

"_Whoa!_ You okay up there, ne-san? Never seen a bird fall out of a tree before!" Called up Kotaro, down at the base of her tree. Dazed, the trembling hanyou tightened her grip on her branch and pulled herself upright, leaving inch-deep score marks in the wood. Sap pooled around her fingers as she crouched, wings twisting beneath the glamour that bound them, pinions struggling to burst through the thin layers of concealing _chi_ and cloth and push her up through the skyline.

"I'm fine," she grunted, breath hissing through tightly grit teeth, the urge to flee curling in her chest.

_Kono-chan-? What's going on?_

A wordless impression of _stress/fear/panic!_ surged towards her questing thought, drawing on the ties that bound her even at such a distance. She'd never tried to call upon the pactio magic that linked them before, and the buffeting emotions that slammed into her, flavoured by tears, nearly sent her to the ground again.

The demon inside shrieked with worry, digging sharp claws against the inside of her skull, metaphysical talons pinpricks of searing pain. As her deeper nature railed against duty and patrol assignations, the irresistible need to fly to her mate's aid crested and washed over, nigh on unbearable-

_Crack!_

A branch, not too far from her head, exploded into woodchips as a single gunshot punctuated the shrilling panic reverberated inside her head.

"_Sakurazaki! You better have found something up there!"_

Mana, guns akimbo, peered up the tree, one kinda freaked out swordswoman in her sight. "Where's the evidence? You said you felt a trace of whoever was following us up there- you better have been right!"

Ku Fei, staring at the somewhat erratic mercenary, made a swirling sign at her temples- before hastily snapping her hands behind her back as Mana pointed one gun in her direction with nary a backwards glance.

"Your innocent whistling is neither innocent nor in tune, Ku. Stop it."

Setsuna, struggling to breathe through the tightness that gripped her chest, squeezing her lungs as the demon _screamed_ at her, snatched at the object that had caught her attention in the first place, tossing it at the ground with nary a thought for where it landed, and gripped the branch tighter still.

_Kono-chan, are you-_

Another flash of emotion -_fear/panic/can't-take-it-any-more- _flashed across her mind, only to fade as blackness swept up and over her vision in a flash flood of overloaded sensation.

_Kono-chan!_

-but, oddly, the pain was receding now, her sight clearing; a tentative pull along the ties between yielded _exhaustion_, _exasperation_ and not a little _nervousness_- but not the same sharp, cutting agony as before.

"Huh... a shuriken. And... yes, that's demon blood," said Kotaro, crouching down at the base of the tree. Gripping the pointed edge with clawed fingertips, he sniffed gingerly at rust-stained metal. "It's already started to eat away at the blades."

Ku Fei, peering over his shoulder, brushed a careful fingertip over the razored edges. "Huh. This look like Kaede's. Why she leave for us to find?"

_Whump_. Shaking her head to dispel the lingering darkness that had stayed with her jump from her perch, the half-demon shrugged her shoulders, flexing her wings beneath their thin sheath of glamour, trying to push all thoughts of Konoka from her mind.

_I'm sorry, Kono-chan. I can't go to your side just yet- we have our own problems here. I'm sure whatever is wrong, Asuna can help. Now, if only I could convince the demon of that…_

That said, the she-demon inside had settled down somewhat; there was a vague impression of ruffled feathers and a little irritation, but her more base instincts understood the need to protect her territory was important as well. Swallowing down a sigh, the swordswoman squared her shoulders and pushed her thoughts back to work.

"Because she's been following us for the past hour, and no doubt _wanted_ us to find it. She broke into the shrine last night, didn't she, commander?"

Mana grunted. "As she has, every night, for the past month. At first, I figured it was something to do with the new wards I'd put up- she's always been interested in pushing the barriers, has Kaede, but after I found the grounds swarming with low-level spectres and not a few corpses of demons she'd dispatched this morning, I think this is a sign of something different."

"I _think_," said the shrine maiden, and the doubt in her voice was not a good sign at all, "I think that the wards around the grounds are failing."

_

* * *

_

On the other side of campus, two young women drew questioning looks as they huddled conspicuously in the Personal Health aisle of the local chemist. One, a redhead whose face was as pretty as her eyes were fierce, trembled with embarrassment at being in such a place; occasionally she would shoot an aggressive stare towards any whose gaze lingered too long upon her. The other, a brunette of classical beauty and well-defined curves, trembling with something else entirely and whose dark eyes concealed a deep anxiousness, did her best to quiet her companion even as she launched into another tirade…

"Remind me again why this is a good idea?" hissed Asuna, ducking behind a cardboard display for incontinence diapers. "You do realise what will happen if Haruna or Kazumi catch us here, right? I don't particularly want my face splashed all over the campus tabloid. Again."

Konoka, pulling the redhead away from the open shelves, held a finger to her lips.

"Because, Asuna, if sex ed has taught us anything- anything _useful_ I mean," she added as the redhead opened her mouth to argue, "it's that there is only one sure fire way to know for sure and that's why we're here. Now shut up and help me look, 'kay? I am _not_ going up to the customer help desk to ask about _this_."

Grumbling her assent, but still darting dark glances around at the other patrons at the chemist -all of whom turned hurriedly away at her mismatched glare- Asuna stalked down the aisle. For her part, the brunette seemed relaxed; but Asuna had been friends with her long enough to recognise the tension that strung across stiff shoulders.

Her posture was little pinched, and there were faint crinkles between her eyes as the young woman strode along the aisle, gaze flicking from label to label, clearly pondering the benefits of one brand above another...

"I think I should get more than one," she mumbled, half to herself, turning a pink packet emblazoned with cherubs over and over in hands that trembled oh so slightly. "But which ones do I get? The pink one? The one that says "Guaranteed accuracy"? This is _hard_..."

_She's afraid_, thought Asuna, and it was like a punch to the gut. _Of course she's bloody afraid, idiot; she might be pregnant, and god knows Chamo isn't reassuring at the best of times, let alone when he's being a jerkass like he was this afternoon. Side effect my _ass_, he should've spilt the beans as soon as he found out they got it on!_

And, if she was honest with herself, that was a bit of a discomforting thought as well. It was one thing to know your best friend had, in theory at least, knocked boots with someone; it was another entirely to see the tension that crackled like static whenever two pairs of eyes met, or watch her tremble with the possibility of a _child_...

Shaking her head, she moved alongside the young mage, holding out the shopping basket. Konoka smiled, albeit a little wanly, and dropped three gaudily wrapped packets into it with a chorus of _whumps_.

"Three should be enough, right? I want to make sure..."

"I'm sure it'll be fine Konoka." When her reassurance seemed to fall flat in the face of grim brown eyes, Asuna nodded vehemently, bells jingling, and forced an upbeat expression across her features. "Look, we'll go home, you can do these tests, the results will come back negative and then you can spend the afternoon pounding Chamo into a paste while I cheer you on from the sidelines. Sound good?"

Konoka laughed, unable to stop herself at the cheerful grin blazoned across her friend's face. The redhead couldn't help but laugh too, and before long the two young women were giggling their way along the shelves and towards the checkouts.

_Man, I hope this is just a false alarm. I don't wanna see what you'll do to Chamo if you _are_ pregnant, and he didn't warn you about it... let alone what dear Set-chan will do to the furry bastard-_

_Oh shit._

Asuna, halfway towards the queue, stopped dead. Sweat, not at all cold, but scalding hot blistered along her hairline as an image of her friend's lover came to mind.

_Setsuna._

_What if you _are_ pregnant?_

_What's shorty gonna say about it?_

_...what am I supposed to say when she realises I've known about this since this afternoon, and haven't said anything about it?_

"Asuna? Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost..."

_Forget seeing ghosts, I'm going to _be_ one if shortstuff figures out I kept this whole debacle from her. Hell._

"Asuna? You still with me?" Waving a slim hand across Asuna's spaced-out face, Konoka flinched when the redhead jumped.

_I think the safest solution is to get the hell out of here. But I can't just leave Konoka... and we haven't even paid for the goods yet. Damn, I gotta get this girl through the checkout and home before any of the security patrol spots us..._

Forcing herself to smile, Asuna turned to her friend, gaze flicking restlessly over the crowded service desk, searching for a free checkout.

"Uh, sorry about that. Spaced out for a sec, there. Oh, hey- that one's free!" Pointing towards the lone counter towards the corner of the store -the only one not occupied with the elderly collecting prescriptions or obnoxious schoolkids demanding lollies of their stressed-out parents- she gave a firm shove to the brunette's back.

"Why don't you go on through, and I'll go and... wait outside, okay? The fluorescent lights are giving me a headache." _And while we're at it, I can make sure no-one we know is hanging around the front of the chemist. _"I'll see you at the front, yeah?"

"But, but Asuna-" began Konoka, only to be slapped cheekily across the butt, very nearly making her drop the basket and spill its contents across the floor. But the twin-tailed girl had already dashed away, leaving her standing like an idiot in the middle of the store.

"-there's no fluoro light in here, just sky lights." Finished the brunette a bit lamely. Shaking her head, she sighed and made her way closer to the till, only to nigh-on jump out of her skin when a familiar voice called out _"Hey, Konoka! What brings you here?"_

_Oh, crap. _Ako_. Of course she would be at work today, of _course_ she would!_

"Uh, hi," said the young heiress, sweating bullets as she slid her basket onto the bench, wishing that she'd had the forethought to throw a few other things in the basket as well. "How's things?"

_Let's face it Konoka; even if you had half the shop in that basket, you're still buying pregnancy tests! How could you desert me, Asuna? You're supposed to be here for moral support! _Her eyes narrowed as Ako, chatting cheerfully about how Dekopin Rocket was doing a show at Satsuki's restaurant later that week, started pulling out pink packages and scanning them with a _blip-blip-blip_.

_You are so dead for this, Asuna. Deserter. _Traitor_. I'll be damned if I'm not gonna pay you back somehow..._

"Uh, Konoka," began the grey-haired girl, brushing soft bangs away from worried eyes as she surveyed the small packets laid out on the bench before her, "I know this is probably none of my business and all, but...is there any particular reason your basket was full of _pregnancy tests_?"

_I guess it was too much to hope for that she wouldn't notice... Think fast, Konoka, and pray she buys whatever you spit out!_

"They're for... um, _Asuna_." Fighting down a grin as malicious glee slowly tingled through her, the brunette dipped her head in apparent bashfulness, but actually trying to hide the devious smile that crept across her mouth. "Yeah, she and Negi have been a little careless of late, you know? She just wanted to be sure and all that- and she was too shy to come in here and get 'em, so I said I'd go for her."

"_Really?_ Asuna and _Negi?_ Wow, he's grown up _fast_... but I guess it was to be expected considering how close those two are. Still, that's nice of you to get them for her, although the chemist really isn't as scary as she thinks." Here the girl's expression darkened a little as she dropped the tests in a paper bag, a shadow of concern flitting across her kind face. "Look, I know it's probably not my place to say so, but unprotected sex is really dangerous- pregnancy is the least of her problems if she doesn't take the appropriate precautions."

Here the young woman seemed to lapse into Concerned Health Practitioner mode, and waggled a finger in the brunette's direction even as she summed up purchases on the till.

"You tell that girl that if she keeps taking chances like that, she's playing with fire! I mean, who knows how many _partners_ he's had-"

"You don't know the _half_ of it," mumbled Konoka.

"-kids these days get around, and Asuna's just setting herself up for a fall if she doesn't smarten up... I know! Here!" fishing under the counter, she grabbed a small box, tucked it into a equally small paper bag, and set it on the bench next to the brunette's other package. "Pass these on to Asuna for me, will you? Don't worry, they're on the house," she added as Konoka opened her mouth to protest. "Tell her to play safe, okay?"

"Uh, sure," said Konoka, wondering how on earth the conversation had taken a turn for the weird, and hoping she could just pay her bill and get out of here.

"Okay," said Ako cheerfully, pushing a small tray towards Konoka, "that comes to 5500 yen altogether please."

Exchanging the closing pleasantries expected in situations like this with a sort of absent-minded politeness, the young mage was more than a little happy to grab her bags and leave, waving somewhat hesitantly to a beaming Ako as she tried not to run out the door.

_By the gods, that was a trial and a half. I'm freaking out, and I haven't even taken the damn test yet. Man, I wish I hadn't eaten my emergency chocolate earlier, 'cause I could really do with a sugar hit right now..._

"Geez, Konoka, could you have spent any longer in there? I'm starting to get a tan out here." Asuna, sprawled out on a bench across the car park grinned up at her, cheeky as a kid caught with her fingers in the cookie jar.

_Ooh, you are so going to _pay_._

"Here, Asuna- _catch_. Present from Ako."

Ducking her head, the smirking redhead barely threw a hand up to catch the small, brown-wrapped parcel aimed directly at her head.

"Hey, what's this...?"

Fighting down the urge to laugh, Konoka was content with the broad grin fairly tumbling from the redhead's smug face as she opened her "present".

"Look, I'm going back to the dorm, okay?" said the mage, crossing her arms. Unable to stop her smile for all the tea in China, she tossed her head imperiously -brown hair swinging out in soft arc of tumbling locks- and fairly sashayed towards the footpath. "And I _really_ don't think you want to go waving those around in public. Come on, Asuna, we got things to do."

Asuna, dumbstruck, could only stare at the small, garishly coloured box of tiny, plastic packets; each holding latex rings of different flavours, "for those delicious moments of carnal intimacy you and your lover can share in a safe and responsible manner", according to the packaging at least. Ears burning, the redhead made a choked noise, and leapt to her feet. Crushing the box between her trembling fists, latex squeaking in protest, she snapped her head around to her disappearing friend.

"Condoms?_ Condoms? _What the _hell_ did you say to them?_ Konoka, you get your jerk-ass back here right this minute!"_

* * *

Whether or not the wards surrounding Mahora were failing or not, the enchantments cloaking the Tatsumiya Shrine were most certainly still functioning; even at a distance from the entrance, Setsuna could feel spiritual energy crackling against her skin and casting off sparks from her _glamourie_.

As such, she was more than a little hesitant to make her way through the series of large _torii_ gates marking the path into the shrine proper.

_Has it always been this powerful? I don't remember being so sensitive to the wards before…_

As a sealed half-demon, she'd had little to no trouble passing through them before, but now the building tension that pressed against her skin threatened to scorch her with tongues of lashing magical fire if she so much as took a step onto sacred ground.

_Hmm. This could be a problem._

"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Hurry the hell up, Setsuna. You too, dog-boy." Mana, impatient, sauntered through the vermillion gates nonchalantly, Ku Fei in tow.

"Uh… Commander, I don't think that's such a good idea…" Kotaro's ears were flattened against his skull, disappearing into his shaggy hair. Clawed fingertips brushed gently against painted wood- and were hastily snatched back as magic sparked at the contact.

Mana blinked.

"Oh. Right. Hold on, I'll be back."

A few minutes passed, in which the bemused members of the Mahora Security Patrol stared at each other from between a nigh-invisible layer of magical power created by the campus miko, Mana herself; eventually, the woman in question reappeared from the depths of the shrine, bearing a wand lashed with ribbons of white paper.

"Hold this," she said, thrusting it the through the barrier and into the hands of a perplexed inu-hanyou. "You too, Setsuna; keep a grip on that while you're on the shrine grounds and you'll be fine."

Wards raising crackles of power that ruffled fur and feathers both, the half-demons in question passed uneasily through the barrier.

"What happens if I let go?" asked Kotaro, loosening his grip on the polished wood, though Setsuna was sure she had a fairly good idea.

"I'll be cleaning bits of dog-boy off the walls for weeks, that's what. There's a reason no demons can get into the shrine, Kotaro- at least, no demons are _supposed_ to be able to get in. Lately, things aren't working as well as they should be…" shaking her dark head, the mercenary gestured them to follow.

Following the commander into the depths of the Tatsumiya Shrine, Setsuna tried to ignore the buzzing at the back of her skull. There was a dull pressure building with each step further into the inner sanctum, a sensation vaguely familiar from her childhood...

_Why does this feeling remind me of Kyoto?_

_And why are the wards so powerful? The shrine has never been so staunchly protected before; it was always assumed that the overlap with Mahora's wards would protect it- it's on school grounds, after all. And yet, there were signs of a battle in the courtyard- blood spatters on the ground, rotting wood where a body had been thrown at a tree. If the wards are powerful enough to make me uncomfortable for my demon blood, then surely nothing could've broached them without help-_

Mana, standing before a pair of heavily engraved doors, slid them open with barely a s_hush_ of polished wood, laying bare the inner altar of the shrine.

"Here. This is what I woke up to this morning; a change from the usual cherry blossoms and flower petals, let me tell you."

Bloody footprints stained tatami mats and floorboards; small dents and chips on the altar wood suggested edged weapons had been used to pin bodies to the wall before they dissipated into smoke. A hole in the ceiling let fat beams of daylight bleed into the small alcove, criss-crossing the mats with bright sunshine.

Hesitantly, the swordswoman edged into the room, dragging a snuffling Kotaro with her. "Wait," said the young inu-hanyou, pulling Setsuna down into a crouch as he sniffed at the residue smeared on the floor. Rubbing it between clawed fingertips, he tasted the scent thoughtfully, but only shrugged. "Demon. I couldn't say what kind, but summoned, definitely. Otherwise this place would still be littered with corpses…"

"Most of them had dissolved by morning, yes." Said Mana, crossing her arms as she watched Ku Fei plot lines of action across the bloodstained floor. "There were enough remaining to know that this wasn't an accident; someone was testing our defences. If Kaede hadn't snuck into the shrine as per usual this morning-" and here she shot a glare at a distant archway, whose shadow blurred only slightly to expose a lanky ninja melting into plain view- "then I wouldn't have woken in time. They wanted to burn the shrine; I found unlit torches and the like. Wouldn't have stuck, of course- this place is covered in anti-inflammatory charms. What bothers me though is that someone would even attempt it."

"But for what?" asked Setsuna, standing and crossing over to the altar, Kotaro in tow. Around the polished wood were a higher concentration of footprints, and a deep gouge in priceless wooden panelling. "There's no point in burning down the shrine. No valuables to destroy, nothing to gain."

"_Except for the death of the shrine maiden."_

Kaede, wrapped in a tattered cloak in many shades of grey, stepped neatly over a torn mat and into the room as the meaning of her whispered words sunk into the gathered group. "Mana-dono is responsible for the maintenance of the wards on shrine grounds, and the management of the wards around Mahora itself; their upkeep, if not their generation. Although our honoured headmaster is the mage responsible for the power which keeps Mahora grounds free from outside magical interference and prevents invasion by supernatural force, it is Mana-dono whose bloodline allows for her to manipulate and secure the barriers that allow us the grace to sleep safely in our beds at night. This one is most certainly grateful for her constant vigilance." Here a cheesy grin flashed momentarily over an expressive mouth; Mana merely twitched an eyebrow and turned away, resolutely ignoring the mischief in heavily slitted eyes.

"The Tatsumiya shrine is one of the many nexii of magical power on the grounds; many of the wards have their root here. If the shrine burns and I die, not only is there no one place on Mahora soil as magically significant and capable enough of being the place of origin for any campus-wide enchantments, but there is no-one else of Tatsumiya blood; without me, the power of the shrine is diminished, as someone of the family line is needed to own the shrine for it to remain anywhere near as powerful. My father was the last priest of his line that held a post here; when he died, I became the only one who could hold the title."

Dark hands, encased in fingerless gloves of well-worn leather slid gently over the door frame. Some emotion, warm and far more open than perhaps the mercenary had intended, smoothed over her features, and leant softness to hard eyes.

"This is my shrine. Whilst it remains in my name, no one I do not wish cannot broach its shields." Abruptly, the young woman stiffened, steely grit leaching back into her gaze. "At least, that was the plan. While I slept, something happened to the wards; none of my alarms were triggered, and I only knew something was wrong when I heard the sounds of combat in here. By the time I made it to the alcove, the fight was over and my knight in a not-so-shiny tattered cloak had disappeared. Remind me to have a chat with you later about you sneaking into my house again," added Mana as an afterthought, eyes narrowing at the expression of injured innocence the ninja affected.

"And the same thing happening to the wards here is happening all over campus," said Kaede, blithely ignoring the pointed glare. "Last night was not the first time this one has encountered unexpected guests, only the first time they had attempted to damage the shrine, de gozaru yo."

"And you happen to be, how you say, _in neighbourhood_? Yes?" said Ku Fei, wide grin showing she regarded the coincidence as very suspicious. "_C'est un coup de chance!_"

Kaede had the grace to look embarrassed.

Kotaro wrinkled his nose. "Something smells rotten. And not just the blood. What the hell is going on?"

_The wards were refreshed the night Kono-chan and I were attacked, _thought Setsuna furiously, mind flicking through the dozens of small incursions dotted all over Mahora grounds the past few weeks. _And the last time they were replaced was shortly before Negi-sensei became a teacher here. I know that the sacred stones holding them in place are supposed to last more than five years… something's weakening them, and making it easier for demons to slip through our defences. No matter that their attacks were unsuccessful; this feels like the first stages of an _invasion_…_

As though she had read the swordswoman's thoughts, Mana nodded briskly. "After I put up some stronger wards this morning, I made my initial report to the headmaster, and he's decided to call in the cavalry. The ojou-sama's daddy-o and head of the Kansai Magic Association is dropping by in a few days, and a few of the shinmeiryuu with him; there shouldn't be this many holes in the wards, not naturally, so that says something's interfering with the school's protection, and _that_ says we may be under attack. If anyone knows how to deal with an invasion, it'll be them."

…_Eishun-sama is coming here? There go my plans for a weekend away with Kono-chan._

That said, Eishun _was_ captain of the Shinmeiryuu and acting elder of the Kansai Magic Association, at least until Kono-chan herself was old enough to take up the mantle. A mage the man was not, but as with all Shinmeiryuu masters, he specialised in defensive barriers; if the headmaster couldn't get to the root of the problem with his aid, then no-one could.

_Except maybe Eva-chan, but she's been locked in her resort for weeks; I don't think we should expect help from her._

"So… what you want us do? More patrol?" Folding her arms into the voluminous silk sleeves of her jacket, the diminutive kung-fu master shrugged. "I get help from kung-fu _étudiant_ if want. No problem."

Kaede nodded, lazily flipping a shuriken through her slender fingers. "This one would not be opposed to taking a few shifts if Mana-dono declared it necessary, de gozaru yo."

Kotaro moved to crack his knuckles in his traditional gesture of boyish arrogance, then realised to do so would mean letting go of the wooden pole and quite possibly being fried to a crisp; as such he merely shrugged and said "I'm okay with doing a couple more rounds; I'll get Negi to double up with me. No one'll notice a couple more kids hanging round the high school anyway."

The mercenary held up a hand to forestall Setsuna's assurance that she too would help; instead, the dusky beauty suggested the swordswoman return home early.

"After all, your main objective is to keep the ojou-sama safe, is it not? The wards, we can deal with; if any one launches an attack in the time it takes for Eishun and his swordsmen to show up, Konoka will be a target, and that we can't. Considering the way your attention was split early today when you just _thought_ she was in trouble, who knows what you'd be like on the battlefield if you couldn't keep her in your sights? Keep an eye on her, and if someone tries to ambush you, call for back-up- not that you'll need it."

More plans were made, but there was little more to be done; after being safely ushered from the range of the shrine wards and into the courtyards, Sestuna let slip her wings and disappeared into the forest, leaving a thoughtful Mana watching her fade into the distance. A few moments later, Kotaro and Ku Fei both vanished into the trees also, their instructions on the forefront of their thoughts; very soon, only the mercenary and the ninja were left at Mahora's only shrine.

A few moments passed in silence, in which Kaede crept surreptitiously closer, and then as her hands latched onto someplace they shouldn't, Mana proved without a doubt that a ninja being thrown into the woods _definitely_ makes a sound, even if no-one is there to hear it.

"_Nin-nin!"_

* * *

The air was not only thick with tension in this one particular room of the Mahora dorms, but fairly ringing with it; the dull, oppressive silence pressed heavily on the ears of the girls who sat at the kitchen table, listening to the seconds tick by. Chamo, laying low in the face of Konoka's case of severe nerves, skulked behind the bread box on the kitchen bench, next to an egg timer that had been conscripted in for testing purposes.

After the obligatory steps had been taken (_"I'm supposed to _what_ on a stick?"_) and the testing criteria fulfilled, Asuna and Konoka could only wait until the elapsed time for the results to appear had passed, two pairs of eyes riveted to a slender twig of plastic, tiny window an indecisive blur of half-appeared letters.

"Geez, this waiting is getting on my nerves," mumbled Asuna, drumming her fingers on the tabletop. "I mean, sheesh, what are the chances of getting two duds out of the three we bought?"

"You think _you're_ tense," snapped Konoka, far too nervous to fidget. Glaring at the small plastic test -the sole survivor after the other two had proven themselves faulty- with enough incendiary force to set it alight and leave scorch marks on the table, the brunette forced a dragging breath through gritted teeth. "You're not the one who could be _pregnant_!"

Asuna sniffed and crossed her arms. "Whatever. Besides, you should've played it safe, Konoka. No glove, no love, and all that."

Konoka's jaw dropped. "Oh, _come on_! How the _hell_ would that've helped? There was nothing to put a condom on! Set-chan used her _hands_, Asuna-!"

The red-head whipped up a hand, cutting off the mage with a determined expression. "Okay, _one_: too much information, two: _eeeeew_, and _three_: that's no excuse. There must be something you can do to be, uh, _safety conscious_, even if you are both girls, so-"

"What was I supposed to do, _wrap myself in cling-wrap?_"

_Ping!_

"Uh, ladies," piped up Chamo, just a little hesitantly from his uneasy position on the bench, "the timer's gone off."

"Ah, _crap_," mumbled Konoka, temper forgotten, as a sudden shiver swept her back into her chair. A trembling hand fluttered over suddenly closed eyes. "Asuna, pick it up, I can't look…"

The red-head swallowed. "_Right_. Uh, what am I looking for?"

"Um, the p-packet said it just says 'positive' if… if it's, well, _positive_." Said the brunette, voice cracking. Nerves of a sort she'd never felt, not even when sitting her mid-year exams with all their ramifications, or facing down Evangeline in flight during training, ripped through her like wire through paper, leaving her edges frayed and torn. Dropping her hands to her lap, fingers contorting into uncomfortable twists, she squeezed her eyes even tighter closed.

Some of her best friend's nervousness leaking over, Asuna fumbled and nearly dropped the pregnancy test on the floor. "Sorry, sorry…" she mumbled at the sudden drop in temperature, the young mage darting a frigid glare her way through squinting eyes. Slamming them shut once more, she waved a hand at the red-head and dragged in a breath, obviously steeling herself.

_Better make this quick, _thought Asuna,_ like ripping off a bandaid._

Her eyes scanned over the test in quick dart of motion.

"Konoka-"

"_Oh gods," _whimpered the brunette.

"-it's positive."

Asuna flinched, waiting for the fallout- crying or shouting or slamming back of a chair; anything really, except what she actually got. When a few moments of silence had passed and there was no sign of violence coming from the girl sitting across the table, she risked a glance upwards-

And felt her heart shudder in her chest. The young woman before her was a picture of tightly reigned misery; lips pressed together and face carefully schooled into a gently impassive expression even as brown eyes swam with tears.

"Oh… oh, _Konoka_…"

"Huh?" Face crumpling into sadness at the pity in mismatching eyes, the brunette shuddered, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. Tasting salt as a trickle met her lips, she blinked and swept her hands upwards, flinching when fingertips touched wetness. "Oh… I'm sorry, I guess I just…" trailing off, she wiped her face with the palms of her hands and dragged in a shaky breath. "All this build-up had to go somewhere."

Asuna said nothing as Konoka pulled herself together, scrubbing away the shock and leaving her eyes only a little red and puffy. Taking a few deep breaths, the young mage grit her teeth, and lent over the table, plucking the test from the redhead's slack fingers.

"Well," she said, voice flat, gaze resting on the tiny window that would change her life in so many ways, "I guess that's it. _Pregnant_. Damn, that ass Kimura was right- I _should've_ been worried." Her fingers tightened about the thin plastic suddenly, as though to crush it in her palm, and for a moment, Asuna saw a deep despair swim up in warm brown. Then, as swiftly as it came, Konoka shook her head, slapped her hands across her cheeks and sat up straighter in her chair.

"Alright. I can't change this; I have to accept it, and move on." Tossing the test onto the table, she leant forward, propped up her elbows and rested her head on her hands. "All I have to do now is figure out what I'm going to do next."

Asuna, a little confused, rocked back a little.

"Uh… are you sure you're okay? I mean, damn, that was some pretty intense news you just found out, and now you're all… peachy keen again." She laughed a little, but it was nervous and crackling, and petered out into an awkward silence. Chamo, skittering down across the bench and leaping onto the table, nodded as he skidded to a stop.

"Yeah, ane-san; that's a pretty big bombshell to drop. You sure you're fine?"

The brunette looked up from hands that trembled just a little, and shook her head sadly. "Of course I'm not. I'm _scared_, and, _and_ this is gonna change my _life_- Set-chan's life too. I don't even know how I can tell her this; I don't know what she's gonna say, whether she's gonna take it badly or not. But… but that's not enough to stop me from facing this." Slowly, hesitantly, she slid her hands off the table and onto her stomach. Still flat, with no sign of the life growing there, she pressed her fingertips into her shirt.

"It's not like I can wave a magic wand and make it go away, after all."

A moment of silence passed, in which Konoka let her hands slip down and rest on her knees, shuffling a little in her chair. After some time had passed, a thoughtful expression crossed her roommate's face, and just a little hesitantly, the redhead spoke.

"You… you have options, you know." Swallowing nervously, Asuna scratched the back of her head, forcing a carefree smile onto her youthful face. "I mean, we learnt about this in health class. If a woman has a… unplanned pregnancy, there are things she can do. To, uh, solve her problem." Coughing into her fist, the schoolgirl felt her smile fall away. "No one would think any less of you if you chose to end it before it got started, you know."

Konoka nodded. "I know. But… well, I think if this has happened to me- to me _and_ Set-chan, it's happened for a reason, you know? I don't think magic babies just poof up outta thin air, right Chamo?"

"That's true," said the ermine. "When a partnered couple conceives a child during a pactio, it's usually a cause for celebration; the joy of new life and all that, and the kids themselves usually grow up to be really powerful- even amongst magekind they're considered special. And with couples where a child can't be conceived normally… well, that's even rarer and even more unique. Who knows what that kid's gonna grow up to be?"

"See?" said Konoka, the first real smile in quite some time easing gently over her mouth. It was small, and a little timid, but it was a smile none the less. "I know you're trying to help Asuna, and I appreciate that you even brought it up, and I even understand what kind of situation I'd be in to take those options. But this isn't one of them. This is something that I have to deal with." She nodded briskly, folding her arms over her chest. "That's not even going into the fact that this isn't just my responsibility; it's Set-chan's too. She needs to know about this, and we need to talk about it before we decide what to do. It wouldn't be fair of me to make a decision this big without her."

Asuna, watching the determination kindle in eyes still stained with tears, felt something a little like disbelief and a lot like awe settle over her.

_I can't believe you're so calm. You have a problem, so you deal with it- just like that. Sometimes, I forget how…_ resolute_ you can be, Konoka. Shorty doesn't know how lucky she is._ A brief recollection of Setsuna's standard expression around her lover came to mind then, the oh-so-cool-and-collected swordswoman reduced to smitten putty in the gleeful brunette's hands, and Asuna smirked. _Scratch that; she knows _exactly_ how lucky she is, and can't believe it even now… but lucky or not, I don't know how she's gonna take the news._

That said, the redhead couldn't imagine Setsuna being angry, not really; she could not see that small, calm face creased with temper, or those eyes flashing dark with anger at the thought her magus was pregnant and with _her_ child nonetheless. She could, however, see her pale features slack with worry, crumpled beneath the weight of sadness, or even just coolly indifferent. As she watched her friend sigh and rub her hands into brown hair, determined countenance slipping just a little to let her fears peek out beneath, she wondered which would be more likely.

"Well, there's nothing more to do," said Konoka, letting her arms fall slack to the table. "When Set-chan comes back this afternoon, I just have to sit her down and talk about it."

Asuna nodded, then paused as a thought struck her. "Hey, do you want me here? Or do you want me to go and keep Negi out of the house?"

Konoka frowned, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, then let it out with a small sigh. "I… want you here. I don't think I've got the guts to do this on my own- I'm not brave enough." The mage finished with a self-deprecating chuckle, swiping her hand across her face.

The redhead clapped her on the shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself, girl. You're facing this; if this were me, I would've run out of the room screaming by now."

Chamo, quiet for some time now, nodded and skittered across the table to lay a small paw on Konoka's shoulder as well. "Yeah, ane-san; you've got some helluva composure taking this so easily. I just want you to know you've got my support in this, alright?" at Konoka's incredulous look the small ermine flushed (insofar as it was possible to turn red whilst covered in fur) and scratched his head sheepishly. "_Eh-heh-he_. Don't look at me like that, ane-san; It's kinda my fault for not telling you girls that this could happen, so I feel kind of responsible…"

Asuna waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever, Chamo. The point is, we're here for you, Konoka. All we have to do is wait for shorty to get home, sit her down and explain this to her as calmly as possible… and be ready with a pillow for when she hits the floor. Simple as that."

"I hope you're right, Asuna," mumbled the mage, not entirely sure it would be so easily resolved. "I just hope you're right…"

* * *

Setsuna, mind still buzzing with the thoughts of the wards failing and a possible demon incursion on Mahora grounds, was just a little less observant than usual this particular afternoon. As such, the only warning she really had that something was wrong came far too late, and it was only after stepping into the curiously-tense atmosphere of her lover's dorm room did she notice anything was up.

Once she spotted her Kono-chan seated at the table with Asuna standing behind her, her gentle face creased into a worried frown, her instincts kicked in and a dull tremor of fear swept over her as her cheery greeting died in her throat.

_Oh gods. I knew was too good to be true. All this happiness, it's more than I deserve; now the fates have decided to take it all away once more…_

_She has cancer. She's being married off. She's been expelled- no wait, her grandfather's the dean, there's no way that happened. She's decided to elope with Negi. Her father's gambled away the family fortune and now she has to live on the streets… Don't worry Kono-chan, I'll support you! You can live with me!_

"Set-chan? Please, come and sit down. I… I have to talk to you about something." The brunette's soft voice drew the swordswoman out of her reverie, and a feeling of trepidation sliding into the pit of her belly like a stone, Setsuna moved to sit at the table opposite her Kono-chan, eyes drawn to the strange plastic thing on the tablecloth.

"Kono-chan? What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know how to say this, Set-chan," whispered Konoka, bright eyes dull and fearful as she reached trembling hands out to take Setsuna's own. Her fingers were cold, her skin clammy. The dismissed thought that she might be sick came back to mind, and Setsuna forced herself to push it back.

"Whatever it is, I'll listen. You know you can tell me anything Kono-chan."

Konoka swallowed and gripped the sword-calloused hands holding hers tighter.

"This is kind of… hard to explain, so I'm going to start at the beginning. You remember how a few weeks back, I started getting really sick in the mornings…?"

As Konoka explained the lead-up to her finding herself pregnant and Chamo's thoughts on how it had happened, Asuna found herself gripping the back of the brunette's chair tighter with each passing moment. About ten minutes in to the account, Setsuna's face had gone carefully blank, not a single pucker or line creasing her high forehead, and dark eyes calm and clear- and, to the redhead's limited senses, the half-demon had started to feel a lot more _dangerous_.

Asuna knew she wasn't some martial arts prodigy like the girl sitting before her, or even half their class, but years of training with and against people and monsters far stronger than she could ever be had left its mark; she had, after some time spent being thrown from the narrow bridge of Eva's resort and into illusory glaciers that were no less freezing or deadly than the real thing, begun to develop something she called her _trouble spot:_ a little patch of skin on the back of her neck that started to tingle whenever something big, bad and _pissed off_ was coming for her. Whenever Negi got angry over her not doing her homework, it would twinge. Whenever Eva smiled her _let's-make-your-life-hell-little-human_ smile, it would prickle. And, right now -as she imagined the air around Setsuna thickening with repressed rage, a dark aura bleeding from her too-calm body to stain the space about her with darkness that boded ill for all near her- it was itching like _crazy_.

As Konoka finished her explanation and dropped the swordswoman's hands to pass her the positive test, something flickered in dark eyes- and the redhead felt her fingernails bite into wood.

_Oh no. _Oh no_. That is _not_ a happy look. Somebody is going to die for this, and I really hope it isn't me…_

Slowly, Setsuna turned the test over and over between her fingers, head cocked to the side as Konoka's trembling voice trailed off into silence. Dark eyes thoughtful as she laid the slender plastic strip gently down on the table with the grace of a geisha, the hanyou licked chapped lips, raising her head to look directly at the woman seated before her- and the fine hairs on Asuna's arms stood straight up as something like static washed over her in a prickling wave.

_Oh wow. She's _angry_._

"You're pregnant," said Setsuna softly, and those were the first words she had spoken since the mage had begun talking.

Konoka nodded hesitantly.

"_Pregnant_."

"… Yes."

Slowly, she brought her hands together, steepling her fingers while raising them to rest gently on her mouth. "With _our_ child."

Konoka nodded again.

"…I see." Narrow eyes closed.

Her trouble spot started to _burn_, and Asuna bit her tongue to stop herself from whimpering. Chamo, the little weasel, had slunk off somewhere as soon as he heard Setsuna's footsteps in the hall, mumbling about being 'lower on the food chain'; she'd called him a coward as he'd disappeared into Negi's loft, but now the redhead understood why the terrified creature had made his escape.

_It's like sitting in the same room as a tiger, and no one else notices, and whenever she looks your way, you know she's thinking about how hard it is to _not_ eat you…_

She'd never really considered the slender woman seated at the table to be frightening before; hyper-competent, yes, and madly protective of Konoka, and very, _very_ dangerous to anyone who threatened her charge, but never _frightening_, even armed and in the midst of battle. And now, as she sat still and quiet, apparently lost in thought, Yuunagi nowhere to be seen, Asuna couldn't help but think she wouldn't make it through the rest of the day.

"Set-chan?" asked Konoka timidly, and was ignored.

"Asuna," said the swordswoman, eyes still closed, and the redhead nearly shot through the roof in fright.

"Uh, y-yes?"

_Shit, don't stutter- don't show any signs of fear!_

"Leave us. Now."

"Sure, I'll just grab my handbag" was what Asuna intended to say, although for some reason it came out as "What? But this is _my_ room!"

The swordswoman sighed, a slow, dragging hiss of breath through gritted teeth. "I don't care."

_Eeep,_ thought Asuna, but actually said "and what about Negi? He'll be home soon, and want his dinner." As soon as the words slipped out, she immediately regretted them; the hanyou's eyes, once closed, snapped open and focused sharply open her, irises smoky white and pupils dark and intense pinpricks.

"I. Don't. _Care_."

_Right, _said Asuna's hindbrain, as something about that murderous glare bypassed reasoning and shivered down her spine, stomping all over the evolutionary markers for primal terror, _obviously intelligent thought isn't all it's cracked up to be, and if you keep talking, it's going to get us killed. So just nod, stick your hands over your mouth so you aren't tempted to say anything that will put us even deeper in it, and get the hell out of here. Like, _right now_. Now would be good. Five minutes ago would've been even better._

Whimpering a little, she clapped her hands over her mouth and fled, slamming the door behind her.

A heartbeat of time passed, and then Setsuna stood and crossed the room, coming to a stop against the living room wall, forehead resting gently against the plaster-finish brick. Slowly, the half-demon brought a hand up to rest against the smooth surface- and then, with no warning, smacked her fist into the wall with a resounding _crack!,_ plaster dust and fragments of brick raining down from the crater that rippled outwards from the blow.

"Set-chan!" cried Konoka, pushing back her chair with a faint _skreek_. Leaping to her feet, she made to run to her lover- and stopped, hesitating on the edge of the carpet. Swallowing back something that could've been a sob, she whispered "You're angry, aren't you?" in a broken kind of voice.

"_Yes_," growled Setsuna, and the brunette flinched. Wrapping her arms about herself, the young mage made a move to step backwards, tears pooling in eyes dark with sorrow-

"But not at you. _Never_ at you," mumbled the swordswoman, grinding her knuckles across crumbling brick. Blood from her bruised and torn hand smeared across the cracked plaster. Confused, the brunette hesitated… and then saw the blood dripping down the wall and onto the carpet.

"Ah-! You've hurt yourself!" rushing forth, she reached for her lover's hand, only to have the shorter woman pull away from her, fringe swinging to cover unreadable eyes. Mustering her courage, Konoka snatched at her hand, ignoring any sounds of protest.

"Don't be stupid, Set-chan," she snapped, wiping away tears with the back of one hand even as she held onto the swordswoman's with the other. "You've torn the skin at the very least, and most likely cracked your knuckles too. You need to have it looked at. Go sit on the couch; I'll get the first aid kit."

Ten silent, awkward minutes later, Setsuna sat and watched as the brunette dabbed at her bloody knuckles with wet tissues and applied disinfectant. Even though it likely burned, she made no sound, and the young mage couldn't help but feel worried as the hanyou regarded her coolly.

_Oh Set-chan… I wish I knew what to do…_

_But, I just know you aren't going to tell me what you feel unless I drag it out of you. You've always had a problem with talking about your feelings._

Wrapping slender fingers with gauze, Konoka stroked the soft skin on the palm of her Set-chan's hands with timid fingertips. "Set-chan… why were you mad? Is it because of, of _me_? Of this whole situation?" swallowing down her fears, the brunette tried to steel herself even as the swordswoman turned away.

_Oh, so much for my resolve. But I _have_ to do this._

"I know… I know this has been a shock to you -it was shock to me as well, and I know this whole thing is a bit hard to believe. I mean, _magically-conceived babies_? Yeah right," laughed Konoka, but half-way through it warped to be like a sob. Shaking her head, she tightened her grip on Setsuna's injured hand- and felt slender fingers curl gently into her own. Heartened, she took a deep breath and continued. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not surprised that you're angry with me. If we hadn't- hadn't made a pactio, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. So I, I _understand_ if you want some time alone to think about this, and what our options are. I won't make you be a parent if you don't want to be, Set-chan-"

"_I never said I didn't want to be."_

Konoka blinked, and felt shock ripple through her like a stone thrown into a pond.

"Set-chan?"

Sighing, the swordswoman turned back to the brunette, a gentle half-smile creasing her mouth. "I never said I didn't want to be a parent, Kono-chan- never said that I didn't want this baby." Sliding her fingers from the mage's gentle grip, she reached out a hesitant hand and brushed fingertips over her lover's still-flat belly. Smoky eyes warm with some unknown emotion, Setsuna rested her hand against the soft cloth of Konoka's top, gauze rustling gently against the fabric. "I don't know what you want to do, Kono-chan; whether or not you want to go through with this. But I want you to know that whatever choice you make, I accept it- and if you choose to keep this, then I want to be beside you."

Shaking her head, the slender young woman's smile turned apologetic. "I'm sorry I scared you," she whispered, "but when I saw you so frightened to talk to me, and when I heard about all you've been through today, I just… felt _sick_ that I couldn't do anything to help you. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised that this was my fault- if I hadn't, h-hadn't-" and here Setsuna flushed a dull red and stuttered a little in embarrassment, "_made l-love to you_, you wouldn't be in this position."

Konoka couldn't help it; at her Set-chan's oh-so-serious expression, torn between regret and utter mortification, a giggle bubbled up and spilled out, and before long, she'd quite collapsed into laughter that bore just the faint edge of hysteria.

Setsuna, worried and unsure how to deal with a snorting, snickering mage just sat and stared for a minute or two waiting for the taller woman to regain her composure. When the brunette eventually calmed and wiped tears from her eyes with a sigh, the swordswoman couldn't help but sigh as well.

"Oh, Set-chan… as we learnt in health class, it takes two to make a baby. Even if that baby is the result of some seriously funky magic that a certain vermin ermine should have warned us about… No, Set-chan, you're not to blame for this, and nor am I; it was an accident, and the only thing we can do now is work out what to do next."

Pulling the shorter woman closer for a hug -and being careful not to bump her injured hand- Konoka pressed a kiss to the top of her ministra's head. "And don't you even start that whole regretting having sex with me nonsense again, alright? I love you too much to listen to you angst."

"Yes, Kono-chan."

Another few minutes passed, much less stressful this time, in which the two young women clung to each other on the couch; together they felt the tides of the day's anxieties if not completely dissolve, at least ebb to more manageable levels. Konoka, resting her head against the swordswoman's hair, sighed; soft strands tickled her cheek where they moved with her breath. Setsuna, curled under her arm, gently lifted a hand and placed it on the brunette's stomach. There were no signs of life beneath her fingertips, no movement other than the slow rise and fall of her breathing, and the young woman found it hard to reconcile the concept of a child and all that it entailed with the reality pressing gently against her hand.

"How long?" Setsuna asked, her voice a soft rasp. Clearing her throat with a gentle cough, she spoke again: "I mean, when did you…" only to trail off into silence.

"About… about two months. Eight weeks, give or take a few days." Frowning prettily, the brunette shook her head. "I can't even remember the day we… made a pactio. Really important anniversary and all, and I don't remember the date. How terrible of me."

Shaking her head, the half-demon smiled. "That's all right, Kono-chan. I'm a little ashamed to admit I can't remember it either." Smile slipping, she licked her lips, suddenly dry and chapped. "So, about seven months then. If you decide to go through with this."

"If _we_ decide, Set-chan. I don't want to go making any big decisions without your input. I want to know what you want to do," she added, pulling back to look the shorter girl in the eye. "I want to know what you want to do, whether or not you want to go through with this. I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with, and I won't do something I'll regret knowing you wanted something different." She reached out gentle fingers then, brushing soft strands from Setsuna's eyes, and smiled down at the serious look on the half-demon's face. "Take your time. If you can't tell me today, that's okay, but I need to know. If we're a couple, I can't do this on my own."

"Kono-chan, you know I'll stay by you whatever you choose, and I… I want to keep this baby." Letting out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding in, the young woman smoothed her hand over the warmth of Konoka's belly. "I know I'm young, and I know it won't be easy, but I want to be a parent- and to be one with you, raising a child with _you_, Kono-chan, is something beyond anything I could've dreamed of." Swallowing, she slowly drew her hand away from Konoka's waist and rested it in her lap, twisting her fingers together nervously. "I never really… never really thought I'd have _children_. I mean, when I was younger, I always thought I'd be by your side for the rest of my life, but I knew you'd one day marry someone your grandfather or father picked out for you, and eventually have babies. I just never… never thought that it'd be _me_ you're having them with. I won't deny it's been a bit of a surprise, but I've made my decision."

Raising her head and craning her neck just a little, she brushed her lips against the brunette's forehead. Sitting back, she tipped her head to the side, smoky eyes glowing with warmth and took the brunettes hands in her own gently. "That's what I want, Konoka. To be with you and raise our child together."

Even as she whispered the words, her quiet voice warm in the silent room, Setsuna felt a small thrill of satisfaction flood her. _This is the right choice. Even though this is something I have never even dreamed of, now that I've been given this chance, I will seize it. _

Somewhere, in the dark recesses of her mind, the demon stirred; a deep feeling of _approval_ surged forth, quickly followed by a wave of possessiveness.

_My Kono-chan, my- _our_ baby._

Drawing herself back from her thoughts, the young half-demon turned to the woman seated across from her, whose hands trembled in Setsuna's own. Soft brown eyes were glossy with tears as a series of tremors shook the young mage from head to toe, her face crumpling under the weight of some unknown emotion. Worried, the swordswoman moved back as though to put some distance between them-

And was promptly pounced upon by Konoka, who leapt for the shorter woman with a ragged cry of "_Oh_, _Set-chan-!_"

"_Uwah!_"

Tackled back onto the couch, Setsuna found herself staring up at her lover, tears spilling down her cheeks even as a trembling smile bloomed across her pretty face. "Oh, _oh_, I want the baby too, Set-chan; I want to raise our baby _together_! I love you so much, Set-chan, and I want us to be a _family_!" shaking her head from side to side as she wiped wet eyes on her forearm, the brunette sniffled damply.

"I was so scared you'd be mad at me, that I didn't even think about what you wanted," said Konoka, smiling softly down at the woman she loved. "Up until you said you wanted us to raise our baby together, I was so busy thinking about all the bad stuff that I forgot about all the good things too." Stroking gentle fingertips down the half-demon's face, the brunette shivered as loving warmth bloomed in her chest at the soft look in dark eyes silvered with affection. "I never even thought about how wonderful it would be for us to be a family together, and now that I am, I find myself looking forward to the day our baby is born and we become one..."

Setsuna, irises melting into white shadows as the demon stirred beneath her skin, raised herself up on her elbows to press a kiss to her lover's warm mouth. "Silly Kono-chan," she whispered, words a trembling breath over soft lips, "we already _are_."

The swordswoman felt the exact moment the meaning of her words sunk in, as gentle hands slid across her shoulders and her Kono-chan's sweet lips parted against her own in a shock of rushed breath. For a moment, the dark-haired mage was tremblingly silent, body held back from hers like a tightly-strung bow- then, abruptly, Konoka sighed and brought their bodies together with a rush of warmth as she kissed Setsuna in return. Pushing back against her lover with a passion that crackled between them like the static that precedes the storm, Setsuna arched into Konoka's embrace, barely stifling a moan as the demon inside writhed at the back of her mind, crowing in love and triumph as the brunette's long hair spilt over her shoulders and swung around them as a curtain of soft darkness.

"Set-chan," whispered the mage between kisses, "Set-chan, Set-chan, _my Set-chan._ Let's run away together, go someplace where we can be _alone_ for a few days…"

"What, _now_?" asked the swordswoman, drunk on devotion and more than a little dazed. "Isn't that a little hasty?"

"Why not? We could catch a train, go somewhere remote… spend a night or two in a ryokan with a hot spring, nothing between us but the thin cloth of summer yukata…" Konoka's voice, husky with desire, hummed down her spine, setting the half-demon's feathers ruffling beneath her shirt. Warmth slid down her body in a trail of fire, smouldering away at the base of her belly, burning up all her reservations as the image of her Kono-chan bathing in the moonlight, wreathed in naught but steam in a pool of mineral-rich water that dripped down her skin in fat, pearly beads came to mind in a blur of heat.

"That's a very, _very_ good idea Kono-chan," gasped Setsuna as the young woman pressed against her even tighter as though to prove her point, one thigh sliding between her own. "In fact, if it weren't the middle of the week, I'd book our tickets _right now_… but as it stands, aren't you supposed to be doing something with the library club tomorrow?"

"I'm sure Haruna won't mind if I cancel," said Konoka, just a touch of mischief trickling through her words as she wriggled closer, grinding her thigh between Setsuna's slender legs. Gritting her teeth to hold back the flash of pleasure at that sweet friction, the hanyou managed to pull her thoughts together enough to speak once more.

"Maybe… maybe so, but- _unh_, Kono-chan, _don't do that_, not unless you want to end up on the _floor_-" growled Setsuna as the brunette nipped gently at her ear, teeth sinking into the lobe. Konoka giggled, and leaning back out of reach of grasping hands that sought to still her actions, rocked her hips with a shifting motion that made the young woman beneath her arch upwards.

"_Ah-hah! Kono-chan!"_

"I don't want to wait any longer," whispered Konoka, cheeks flushed with colour as she rolled and rippled against her lover, hair tossed back in wild locks over slender shoulders, sliding across her back in time to the rhythm of her motions. "I don't want to wait until tomorrow, or the next day, or even the weekend, Set-chan; I want you _now_. I've waited so long…"

"_Unf_…" said Setsuna, not particularly capable of speech as warm lips closed over her own, drawing out her protests into a long, sweet kiss. Even so, when they broke apart for a gasp of air, she managed to blurt out a snatch of words.

"W-we _shouldn't_," said the half-demon, fighting down the baser instincts roiling in her blood that not only disagreed that _yes, we can_, but demanded it be _right now_, and on the floor with the brunette on top too.

"Why ever not?" Konoka grinned, brown eyes wicked. "I'm _already_ pregnant. It's not like anything _worse_ can happen, right?"

_Wstgfl. Hurna hurna hurna. Gah,_ thought Setsuna as Konoka gleefully traced the shape of her mouth with her fingertips, knowing the half-demon was riveted at the sight as a small, pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

_...I want you _so much_, and you are _shamelessly_ using that against me. Whatever happened to the sweet little girl that wanted to play badminton with me? I really think you've spent far too much time around Haruna of late; some of her lecherousness has obviously rubbed off on you- and yet, here I am beneath you, and not entirely sure I want you to stop._

Brain sizzling at the heat in brown eyes suddenly wanton -_Oh, Kono-chan, I knew you could be _naughty_, but not like this- _Setsuna gaped at her lover, smiling down from where she ground against her hips, only fanning the flames that ate her away from the inside out, and knew her protests would fall on deaf ears. Tongue tangled and far too thick in her mouth to let her spit out an appropriate response, the oh-so-cool and collected swordswoman made a noise like "_gnrgh_", and was promptly silenced once more by her Kono-chan's sinful mouth, thoughts scattering as surely as a handful of dandelion seeds on the wind.

Even as their lips collided, desire washing through her blood like steam, like the essence of need itself, even as she fought a losing battle against the urge to _give in, give up, let her have her way with you right here and now_, the niggling thought that before she'd come to this room, before she'd felt the bombshell drop, before she'd lost herself in the wonder of having a family with the woman she loved most in all the world, there'd been something she had to do; some purpose besides her vague need to see her Kono-chan again that was the reason she'd even headed to the dorms in the first place…

("_The ojou-sama's daddy-o and head of the Kansai Magic Association is dropping by in a few days, and a few of the shinmeiryuu with him-")_

Desire died.

Wrenching herself away from her lover with a little more force than necessary, Setsuna gaped as the blood rushed back up to her head, gurgling in panic, and left her face red and sweating. Konoka, concerned, pulled back, real fear writ across her face at the horror bleeding into white-stained eyes that had, mere moments ago, been closed in indescribable pleasure.

"Set-chan…? What, what's wrong?"

Teeth chattering as a sudden chill swept her, the young hanyou wrapped her arms about herself, scooting back across the couch and pushing herself into the cushions.

_Oh. Oh. Oh. How could I have forgotten? Okay, sure, finding out I was going to be a mother is kind of a big deal and certainly distracting, but, but Eishun-sama is coming here! We are so _dead_. _I_ am so dead, and Kono-chan will be shipped off to a nunnery, and, and-_

_Okay. Don't panic. _Ignoring the gibbering urge that said _actually, now is a very good time to panic, thank you very much_, Setsuna slapped herself across the face, wincing at the ringing pain, ignoring Konoka's cry of protest.

_First off, you have to tell Kono-chan. She needs to know what we're in for. And then you have to find yourself a second to take your head cleanly off your shoulders after her father has ritually _disembowelled_ you for_ impregnating his daughter_…_

"Set-chan, please, tell me what's wrong; you look like someone just died!"

"Kono-chan," gasped Setsuna, grasping warm fingers in her cold hands, "in a few days, your father is coming to Mahora!"

Utter silence fell at her proclamation, and wordlessly, Konoka pulled the smaller woman in for a bone crushing embrace as the terrible news sank in.

"We are so screwed," said the brunette flatly. "We should've eloped."

* * *

It was quite dark outside the convenience store, and a blurry thought that it was way past her dinner time struck Asuna as she sat glumly on the bench. Beside her, just as glum in a tweed suit, sat Negi, pince-nez crooked on the tip of his nose. Distantly, the large campus clock struck quarter-past the hour, and the redhead felt her stomach gurgle in sympathy.

_Oooh… so hungry… I've only got 170 yen, and that's not even enough to buy a rice ball… dammit, Setsuna, why'd you have to throw me out of my own room!_

Wrapping his arms about himself, Negi shivered. It was summer, but the night air carried a distinct chill and sitting by the continuously opening doors of the air-conditioned shop wasn't helping matters.

"Asuna, I'm cold," he mumbled, pulling his thin suit jacket tighter.

"I know," sighed Asuna.

"I'm tired too…"

"I _know_."

"I want to go home!"

"I know! _Sheesh_, any one would think all you English do is _whinge_!"

"I'm Welsh actually," said the young teacher rather frostily, "and I am not whingeing. It is entirely inappropriate for us to have been banned from our own room. I have half a mind to march right up to the dorms and demand an explanation!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Asuna, remembering all too clearly the murderous glint in inhuman eyes. "I think dear Set-chan was kinda pissy, and seems more likely to stab you than have a nice chat."

"Oh," said Negi, righteous teachery spirit deflating. "I guess we're waiting here then."

"Yep."

A moment passed in which the pair stared at their feet, and listened to the chorusing grumbles of twin empty stomachs.

"You know," said Asuna, brightening after a moment's deep thought, "I think I saw an expired bento for sale for 150 yen inside. Do you want to go halves?"

Negi looked down his nose at the redhead, an impressive feat considering she was still quite a bit taller than him, left eyebrow cocked incredulously. "Asuna, do you _really_ believe I'll eat expired food if no other option presents itself? Do you _really_ believe I'd lower myself like that for the sake of easing my hunger pangs? _Really_?"

Asuna stared at him blankly. "I'll let you eat the soy sauce."

Negi stared back.

A moment passed, during which the automatic doors swept open as a couple left, arms full of curry buns whose scent fairly wafted over to their seat, leaving their mouths watering. As the couple in question disappeared into the velvety dark of the car park, the young teacher leapt to his feet.

"Dammit, you have a deal! Come on, Asuna, we eat tonight!"

* * *

**End Part Ten**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **Okay, first things first- please don't anyone be offended about the mention, however brief and vague, of the option of abortion for unplanned pregnancy; as pointed out by my editor/gf, it is a logical thing for the friend of a young woman who finds herself in a tricky situation to think about, and the young woman herself to consider. This is not me trying to soapbox, nor do I want anyone else to, so please, if this offends you, accept my apologies.

Secondly… for some reason EB has spontaneously developed a plot, and thus requires long and complicated chapters like the above… so please forgive me for the lack of action-y goodness; I'll try to make good on that in further chapters. -.-;; Speaking of said plot, we're actually finally officially _pregnant_! (_Konoka_ that is, not Cloverfield. Cloverfield would have been a _helluva_ lot more surprised had this happened to her, and a lot less agreeable.) Hooray! It only took me, what, _100, 000+ words and ten chapters_ to get to the idea behind my throwaway concept for this whole thing in the first place… Holy crap, but I am _terrible_ at getting to the point! (lol)

And yes, horrible cliff-hanger, but really, when have I ended a chapter nicely?

As for Naughty!Konoka, she _is_ the headmaster's (grand)daughter, a member of the library club (and hence, a librarian-in-training) as well as an all-around nice girl… which means she's got three strikes against her when it comes to being sweet and innocent in regards to sex, at least according to stereotype and popular culture, and probably a bit of my own wishful thinking as well.

(Of course Cloverfield would take this idea, run with it, and not only ride it but put it away wet as well.

...

...Er, that didn't sound _nearly_ as dirty in my head…)

Geez, Setsuna has no clue as to what a wild ride she's in for- or rather, she kind of does and is secretly looking forward to it whilst protesting loudly that she doesn't and isn't.

In other news, props and cookies to anyone who gets the references to both incarnations of _Negima!_, being the second anime and the _Negima! Neo_ manga, and apologies for the lack of Haruna, Eva, Chachamaru and in fact any other character not at the chemist or in the security patrol, including Negi who had a thirty second cameo at the start and end of the chapter. It's not that I've got anything against the little guy, but lately it seems even _Chamo_ is getting more screentime(fictime?) than he is.

Also, please no one be offended at my mention of English whingeing; I don't know if I have any readers from the UK, but uh, well, I'm Aussie and these biases are kind of ingrained…

Mad, gushing thanks to all my reviewers. Seriously, you guys make me fangirl over every available surface! _300+ reviews_? Sweet lesbian mother of yuri, that's _awesome_ XD Similar gushing thanks to those of you who fave, alert or just lurk in the background- I love you all too, and thank you for reading!

To all my friends who put up with me talking about this _all the time_, thanks as well. You know who you are ;D

I'd like to say I'm going to get the next chapter out soonish, but that would be a lie. _A blatant, dirty lie_. So, instead, I'll just say thank you for being patient and keeping me on your to-read list, and I'll try and make the next chapter as good as I can, whenever it may come out.

(And yes, Eishun is coming to Mahora, and yes, feathers will fly when he finds out exactly what our favourite couple has been up to…)

Review? Please? The button's right there :3


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER**: Negima, its associated hotties and their sexually-ambiguous adventures, belongs entirely to Ken Akamatsu, he of the hot, cosplaying wife. (Seriously, that woman is _fine_.)

**WARNING: **Okay, so after some reader input, I feel the need to put this here. This fic is the product of Cloverfield's somewhat-addled mind, and may include the following: _traces of_ _OoC_ (because I like to find character flaws and turn them up to eleven, and will indeed distort any characterisation for my own twisted purposes); _crack_ (because more often than not this was written late at night, or when drugged up on sugar); _elements of porn_ (because I have a dirty, _dirty_ mind and like seeing two girls grope each other); and _bizarre plotlines_ (there's really no excuse for this one, just bear with me). Most significantly, _this fic should be treated as AU_, because that's how it was written; I started writing this fic shortly after reading the Budokai arc of the early chapters of the manga, and though I am indeed following the scanlations as they are released, this fic does _not_. As such, please consider all canon events that take place after Chao's return to the future and the summer break chapters of the manga to not have taken place for the purposes of EB_, including but not limited to_ Asuna being a pretty, pretty princess who may or may not be related to Negi, the whole journey to the magic world and any subsequent pactios, and the sheer awesomeness that is Jack Rakan. Also, please be aware I tend to write really, really long chapters at sporadic intervals, so it is very unlikely this fic will be updated on a regular basis, but _it will be updated_. (Considering one of my friends / sounding boards actually knows where I live and is not afraid to threaten me with leading you all to my doorstep with pitchforks and torches should I fail to update, you should have no fears on that regard). I think that's all I need to warn you about, and if you spot anything else you think should be in here, please let me know.

**PREFACE:** First things first, I just want to say that I'm sorry this took me so long. A lot of things have been going on in my personal life of late -me losing my job of three years and heading into my final year of university for example- and I've not really had the time or the inclination to do this story justice.

I'm not giving up on Egg Belly. I love it too much to do that. But these 15,000 words or so have languished on my computer for a while now, and I didn't want to make you all -my wonderful, supportive readers- wait any longer than I already have, so I've tidied up what I have and worked it into a chapter for you. I'm sorry this chapter isn't as long as it normally is; I'm just gonna have to try and make it up to you all somehow…

Huge, incredible, Jack-Rakan-level-of-sheer-epic thanks go to Toratchi888 for being my editor; without him putting the boot in I wouldn't have gotten this far (and this chapter would not be nearly so nicely edited), so go give his awesome Negima fics some love! XD

* * *

**Egg Belly.**

* * *

**Part Eleven**

* * *

_Library Island glowed in the afternoon sunlight. Streams of glittering dust motes drifted through the wide corridor, seeming to float on the light as they wafted through the shelves along with the cool breeze flowing smoothly through the building. Somewhere, the faintest murmuring of distant waterfalls could be heard, adding a susurrant hush to the slow, soft chorus of gentle sounds that filled the echoing space: the rustle of pages turning, the quiet whisper of students talking, the gentle clatter of trolley wheels…_

Konoe Konoka leant against a railing, holding an armful of books; her pretty features were tired, dark smudges framing her unfocused gaze. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out a hand towards the shelf as though to part the leather-backed tomes before her, ready to slip another of their kindred back home where it belonged- and stopped.

A few steps away, unnoticed, Yue watched a shadow flicker over her friend's face and felt something in her chest tighten. Brushing her thick, azure braids back overher narrow shoulders she straightened her stride and stepped from the dusky cool of the towering bookshelves, reaching out to lay a gentle hand on her classmate and friend's shoulder.

The brunette jumped at the soft touch, face flushed and a little guilty. "Yue! Uh, sorry, I know I was supposed to have these shelved fifteen minutes ago. I'll get right on that-" said the young mage in a flustered stream, before bumping into her trolley and sending a clatter of books to the floor. Both girls winced, the universal reaction of bibliophiles anywhere where the objects of their obsession suffered, and knelt to gather the books back up.

"You know, Konoka, I think it might be a good idea for you to go home. It's pretty obvious that your heart isn't in it today…"

Dismayed, the brunette shook her head. "I can't just leave- I promised I would help. And besides, what kind of club member would I be if I left you to do all the work?"

A few moments of companionable silence passed, in which the duo checked for damage to spines, rumpled pages and the like. Eventually, all books were deemed undamaged and returned to the trolley in perfect order… leaving the young brunette with nothing to hide behind. Yue sighed, somewhat awkward in the face of her friend's obvious distress, but pure of intention nonetheless.

"I meant what I said, Konoka. We can handle it if you take a break for one day, and it's not like we're without help, either." Here a gentle smile tinged only with the slightest hint of mischief spread slowly over Yue's otherwise serious features. "It's about time we broke in the new recruits from first year, after all."

"I guess," began Konoka, and was quickly silenced by a determined nod from the acting head officer of the library exploration and expedition club.

"Good. Go home, get some rest, and come back in a few days after whatever's got you antsy has blown over. If you can wheel the trolley back to the reference desk on your way out, that'd help." Said Yue briskly, scooping up an armful of books and striding towards the ziplines that linked the multi-tiered stacks with a no-nonsense manner that Konoka found simultaneously comforting and disconcerting. Watching her friend's back for a moment or two, Konoka shook herself and tried to pull her thoughts back from where they had wandered.

"And, Konoka…"

"Hmm?" closing her hands about the metal handles of the book trolley, the young mage half-turned to see gentle eyes smile back down at her from the abseil platform.

"Be careful, okay? I know there have been a lot of things going on in your life lately, and I know that you and Setsuna-san can handle whatever troubles you but… I want you to know that I- _we_- all of us here in the library club- are here for you." At the brunette's wide-eyed look, Yue flushed a little, fidgeting awkwardly with her leather gloves.

"Yue… I-"

Holding up a hand, the pint-size philosopher shook her head. "Don't say it. I'm not… not good at the whole comforting thing. But I want you to know you've got us all backing you up." Looking away from brown eyes warming with slow understanding, she reached for a clip and made it secure, cheeks dark with embarrassment. "I've gotta go check on the other two- make sure everything's going well down in the 300's. You take care on your way out, alright?"

Looking up through thick lashes, Yue sighed as a smile, the first genuine one that she had seen all afternoon, slid across Konoka's face. Shoulders relaxing, she took a backwards step, swung herself out from the rail, and pushed off, the tightness in her chest loosening as the brunette waved goodbye down at her from the higher levels.

Trying not to think about anything but the feel of cable feeding smoothly through the gear under her steady hands, Yue let her mind clear from all but her steady descent- and nearly dropped past her target platform as Haruna bellowed cheerfully up at her.

"_Yo, Yuecchi, any news on what's got Konoka so blue?"_

"Paru, you shouldn't just call out like that… people are trying to study-" Nodoka, twisting her hands together behind their brash friend nevertheless stepped up to the ledge, and secured the lead line with swift, surprisingly steady hands.

"Nothing to worry about bookstore- this part of the stacks is pretty empty after all. And hey, if they don't like it, they can always go and study elsewhere, you know." Smile slipping just a little, she shrugged and forced a grin that didn't quite meet eyes far too solemn behind glinting glasses. "So. Any goss we should know about?"

Yue shook her head in the negative, swinging the ledge gate closed and unbuckling her harness. "No. Konoka seemed upset and distracted and I was not about to trouble her further. I know it probably isn't anything to do with school- if it was, she would've come to us earlier. So that leaves family, something to do with her magic lessons under Negi-sensei and Eva-san or… Setsuna-san."

"I don't think it's, um, _problems of the heart_," said Nodoka and flushed as Haruna cocked an eyebrow. Ducking behind her bangs, the third member of their club bit her lip. "Not that I know much about, um, _relationships_, but, uh, she seems pretty… _happy_ with her… love life." Haruna chuckled and Nodoka, her face darkening to another shade of pink, hastily adding "Not that I've been watching them or anything! Um."

"And where, exactly, would you be getting this impression from, hmm?" Haruna, amused, crossed her arms as Yue sighed and Nodoka purpled, clutching the railing as though it were a lifeline.

"I've been reading a lot about les- uh, _relationships_ from a female point of view lately, and, uh, she doesn't exhibit any signs of relationship stress- at least, not of the kind that we could assume stemmed from her lov- _partner_."

"So that's what you've been reading before bed. Didn't know you had it in ya, bookstore." Here Haruna grinned manically and Yue thought that a shark eyeing a drowning swimmer could not look more enthusiastic. "I'm sure your, huh, _research_ has come in handy." The obligatory suggestive eyebrow waggle followed and Yue could not help but sigh as Nodoka flailed her arms and babbled in an attempt to dispel suspicion, an attempt doomed most assuredly to fail in the face of Haruna's ingrained perversion. Deciding that if action was not taken to draw the topic back to the task at hand all progress would be lost, she cleared her throat and (eventually, and through any number of meaningful looks and exaggerated coughing) managed to get her companions attention once more.

"What Nodoka has or has not been reading is not the issue here- _we can talk about this later, Paru, it's really not that important at the moment_. What matters is that a classmate of ours is upset, and, for whatever reason, we don't know why, it is our duty as members of the library expedition club -no, as her _friends_- to find out what is bothering her, and do our very best to alleviate that." Realising with some embarrassment that she had, in fact, begun to pace in a circle, Yue stopped and let her arms drop somewhat awkwardly to her sides. "The only thing I'm not sure of is how, exactly, to find that what that reason is."

A moment of thoughtful silence passed with heads bowed, arms crossed and eyes narrowing thoughtfully as the gentle, familiar noises of the library washed over them, the clatter of books on shelves and the rustle of pages as the gentle sussurance of muted conversation rolled about them like froth on a wave.

Some time passed when Haruna straightened, lifting her head slowly. "We could always… use _that_." A nod at Nodoka here, and the girl in question frowning gently.

"I don't know, Paru… I think that going into someone's thoughts just to find out something that I could so easily ask about is a little… lazy. Not to mention the whole question of privacy. I mean, how would _you_ like it if I went rifling through your head at the slightest provocation? I have no right to pry into Konoka's secrets, and I don't think I'd feel comfortable using the diary for that purpose."

Haruna tutted. "Easy there. I'm not debating the ethics of the situation. I know that it's wrong to go rummaging around in someone's head for everything but the most urgent of situations- but you can't tell me you haven't been worried about her." Taking her glasses off to polish the lenses with the edge of her shirt in a gesture meant to busy her hands more than anything else, the young woman sighed.

"I'm not saying we go all out here, just a quick peek, and surely something like this comes under an exception to the rule. I just wanna know what's got her so down lately and see if I can help- and I get the feeling that whatever it was, it's only gotten worse than since yesterday. Time's running out- what if something horrible happens because we didn't step up and try and figure it out?" Slipping her glasses back on with a squint, a quick and dirty grin flashed over her expressive face. "And besides, bookstore, I think if you went rummaging in _my_ head _you'd_ be the one that went away uncomfortable."

Ignoring Nodoka's splutter, Yue nodded. "I understand your concern, Paru- I feel the same. However, I do agree with Nodoka that using the _Diarum Ejus_ on an unaware and non-consenting party is a violation of privacy and user privilege, if thoughts could be considered as the medium in question; I certainly believe that such a breach of confidentiality is tantamount to providing details of patron use information to third parties in the name of consumer research. If we consider the work _Information_ _Ethics in Common Information Practice_, as edited by Gorram and Blakely-"

"Yeah, I think we get the point, Yue. No need to launch into an essay here." Haruna cut in dryly. "And besides, as soon as I said it, I thought you might say no. So, I prepared a Plan B."

Yue's eyes narrowed. "Plan B?" even in a monotone, the diminutive library officer managed to sound sceptical.

"Yup," said Haruna, rocking back on her heels smugly. "And don't say it like that- it's nothing underhanded, I assure you. See, all we need to do is get Asuna on her own, and then let events unfold as they will…"

_Unhurt by her friends healthy -and quite reasonable- reluctance, Haruna nevertheless managed to win her colleagues over to her point of view, even if Yue claimed to reserve judgement until she had actually seen the plan work. As it was, there were still quite a few hours to pass before closing, and a whole another day before she could put her idea into action. And so, the girls made their arrangements to drop by for a visit to the top floor of the dorm tomorrow morning, ostensibly to return some borrowed books to the brunette in question, but in all actuality to determine for themselves, once and for all, what exactly was bothering Konoe Konoka and what could be done about it…_

* * *

"Hey there- we're coming in!" Haruna, cheerful as always even early on a Friday morning, poked her head around the alcove, Nodoka and Yue following in her wake.

"Oh, hey guys- didn't expect you 'til later. I thought you were dropping by around lunch time." Asuna, hair brush in hand, jerked her head towards the couch. "No need to stand on ceremony- sit, sit. Negi, move those books off the couch will you?"

"Well, as delicious as Konoka's lunches normally are, we thought we'd swing by a little early and share this cream cake." Nodding at Nodoka -who shyly proffered the confection in question, a luscious sponge draped in folds of creamy icing and lathered with strawberries- The bespectacled mangaka kicked off her shoes and stepped up onto the carpet. "Yue found this great little shop down by the station, and well, we thought it'd be a nice treat for everyone."

Negi, moving forward to take the cake from a flushing Nodoka, smiled sweetly. "Wow, girls, that's so nice of you. Here, let me- I'll get some plates and cut it up." moving into the kitchen, the boy-mage neatly side-stepped his red-head roommate. Asuna, speaking around the ribbon held in her teeth, mumbled something that could have been "Awesome! Cake!" as she tied her hair, bells jingling as she finally settled the mass of red into twin tails.

"So anyway, speaking of the young miss, where is she? Over at the girlfriend's room again?" Haruna, plonking herself down on the couch, cocked her head to the side, her question just a shade _too_ innocent. Asuna, shaking her hair back over her shoulders with another tinkle of bells frowned just slightly; there was something ever so subtly off about the way the mangaka had said that. Hell, the girl hadn't even squeezed one bawdy joke or suggestive smirk into that small sentence.

_Then again_, concluded the redhead as Negi returned with plates adorned with the most delectable strawberry sponge she had ever seen, _maybe she's just being mindful of our naïve young teacher_, and the rumbling of her stomach drowned out her qualms.

"Yes, I believe Konoka-san and Setsuna-san had a mind to run some errands this morning," said Negi, passing out each serve. "However, I am sure that if we were to call them, they would certainly return early-"

"I wouldn't worry about it, sensei; if they only have a few things to do, then they'll be back soon enough. As long as we save them a slice or two, it should be fine." Yue, taking a moment to savour her cake, promptly took another mouthful of the creamy concoction- and just as promptly choked and spluttered, nearly dropping her cake in her lap.

"_Yue!_"

"Whoa, hey, you okay? Here, give me that," Asuna, leaned across the table to grab the plate before the shorter girl, nearly doubled over coughing as she was, could drop it. Nodoka, the very picture of concern, rubbed fruitlessly at her colleague's back as Yue hacked into a shaking hand. Haruna, leaning over her shoulder and rubbing also, sat back suddenly, whipping her head around to face startled Negi.

"Quick, sensei- run down to our room downstairs, there's some cough medicine on the kitchen bench!"

Mouth hanging open, fork slack in a raised hand, impaled strawberry trembling on the tines, the boy-teacher blanched and jumped into action as another fit of choking racked the blue-haired. "_Right!_ Keys!" thrusting out a hand, he snatched the bundle from Haruna's grip, all but throwing his plate into Asuna's stunned hands as he leapt over the coffee table and bolted for the door. "Don't you worry, Yue; I'll be right back!"

Silence fell in the wake of Negi's departure; as soon as the boy had disappeared out the doorway, Yue immediately sat up straighter and stopped coughing, Nodoka's hand falling from her back, face grim.

Haruna, rolling her head back and forth over her shoulders to straighten up the kinks, leant forward and rested her steepled fingertips against her mouth. "Now that chibi-sensei's out of the picture -for a few minutes at least, there's at least twelve keys on that ring and it should take him a while to get the right one, let alone figure out which bottle on the cupboard is the real McCoy- _let's get down to business_."

Asuna, still struggling to wrap her mind around the fact that Yue had apparently been faking this whole time and that this all was some strange display meant to get Negi out of the room, managed the highly intelligent "_wha-?_" to express her confusion. Blinking a few times, the redhead pinched her nose with a pained expression. "But _you_- and _she_- and the _cake_- okay, so _what the hell is going on_?"

"Sorry we had to do this to you, Asuna, but we really needed to talk to you alone. Without Negi-sensei," said Yue firmly, wiping away tears of exertion. Fake or not, coughing like that had shaken her small frame from head to toe.

"That's right," squeaked Nodoka, somewhat ashamed. "I'm sorry we had to play a trick on you and Negi-sensei like this, but it really was the only way."

"Yeah," said Haruna, and for the first time in all the years Asuna had known her, something like genuine sorrow had crept into her voice. Swallowing as though to clear a lump in her throat, the bespectacled mangaka nodded firmly. "Look, this is about Konoka. She was with us in the library yesterday afternoon, and… it just wasn't working, you know?"

Yue, wiping the last few droplets from her eyes, sighed heavily. "it was obvious something was wrong, so I told her she could always talk to us about her problems…" trailing off here, the young woman turned to Nodoka, who twisted her hands in her lap nervously.

"I just don't know what to think… what to do to help… she's my friend, Asuna. I don't like knowing that something so… so _big_ has taken place and she might not be able to cope…"

Finally understanding where the conversation was going, the redhead's eyes widened.

"So you guys… you all…?"

Haruna shook her head sadly. "For such a thing to have happened… and for it to be someone I know and care about… and for poor Setsuna-san to be involved as well… it's just too _much_!" here, something like bitterness choked her, and the young woman hastily turned her head away as tears dripped slowly down her cheek.

Asuna felt her heart melt. "Oh, Paru…" reaching across the bench, she gathered the crying girl's hand in her own and gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze. "I know it's hard to get your head around, and I know it's _hard_ to just sit back and let the two of them deal with it, but you know Konoka- she's a big tough girl, and of course Setsuna's behind her all the way. If _anyone_ could cope with a surprise pregnancy and oncoming parenthood, you know it'll be them." Trying to let her confidence show, Asuna smiled at her friend and classmate, who only bit her lip and started to shake. Next to her on the couch, both Nodoka and Yue looked pale and shocked, eyes wide and surprised.

"Oh, Asuna…" gasped Haruna, more tears burning hot trails down her cheeks.

"There, there- it'll be okay Paru-"

"Of course it will be." Suddenly, shockingly cheerful and with something like victory gleaming behind her glasses, Haruna snatched her hand from the redhead's sympathetic hold and fairly bounced onto her feet. "_Hah!_" Almost putting out a startled green eye with a jab of a triumphant finger in Asuna's direction, the foxy young woman burst into laughter. "_I knew it!_ I _damn_ well knew it! Well, no, actually I didn't- there's no way to tell by looking at her that dear Konoka has _a bun in the oven_- but now that you've told me everything, _I know it now!_"

Planting her feet square on the carpet, toes wriggling into the soft fabric in sweet satisfaction, Haruna wrapped her arms about herself. "_Ooh_, that feels so good to know something so… so… _powerful_." Lowering her head a little, the light spilling from open windows glinting off her glasses hid her eyes behind a veil of radiance. "I mean, just think about it. No doubt Konoka told you this in confidence… no actually, you were probably there when she found out. You're her _best_ friend after all."

(And dazed as she was in the face of such a shocking tirade, Asuna had to wonder- was that just a trace of bitterness there, just a merest breath of hurt feelings? Had the library girls always felt like this- one of a group of friends, but never the best?)

Oblivious to the thoughts blazing through the redhead's mind (or quite possibly simply unable to stop), the mangaka continued with barely a pause to draw breath. "_You'd_ know that she's pregnant, but I'm fairly sure Negi doesn't- cute as he is, our teacher can't keep a secret to stop himself being turned into an ermine. And Setsuna knows too? _Of course_ she does… I know Konoka, and I know how crazy she is about that samurai chick, and if what you say is true and it's _their_ little baby -how the hell _that_ happened I have no idea, remind me to grill you about that later- there's no way she wasn't going to break that news. And judging from the fact she wasn't crying absolute buckets yesterday, her chicky took it well enough. _So_," and here she spun on her bare feet and began to pace, eager steps eating their way back and forth across the carpet. "The only thing left to ask is… what do we do now?"

Silence, rang loudly in the room- and then, shockingly, the _jingle-jangle-crunch_ of keys hitting the wooden doorstep.

"I-I-I don't…" Negi, one hand limp and empty where keys had slid through nerveless fingers, stood numbly in the open doorway. "…understand. Konoka-san is… _pregnant_?"

As one, Asuna, Haruna and Nodoka turned to face the young mage, his warm brown eyes wide with shock. "Oh, geez…" mumbled Haruna, shoulders slumping as whatever manic energy had fired her up before abruptly burnt out. Moving into the room, Negi laid a glass bottle -the cough mixture meant to lure him from the conversation in the first place- on a hallway table.

"But isn't… isn't that a _good_ thing?"

More silence; Asuna opened her mouth once or twice as though to say something and gave up, turning a helpless gaze onto the other girls.

Slowly, as though moving through treacle, Yue brought a delicate hand up to cradle her wide forehead. "_I knew we should've closed the door._"

* * *

_The sunlight was soft, warm, caressing as it fell across the young couple in the park… but all the summer sun in the world would do nothing to warm __the icy daggers of fear twisting in the two girls' bellies as they held hands,__ not like lovers do, but like gripping a lifeline- as though any moment now they expected to be wrenched brutally apart._

_The brunette -__ her normally gentle, laughter-filled eyes__grimly resolute__ - rubbed away tears with her free hand, soft lips pressed determinedly together. Her lover -narrow eyes sharper than any blade could ever hope to be- stared into the middle distance, gaze focused beyond the bleached-blue sky. A tension crackled between the two young women, almost tangible where slender fingers tangled together, and whatever fear it was that plagued them could do naught but weaken in the face of such resolve._

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared, Set-chan. But I said it before, and I'll say it again- no one is going to take you away from me."

"I feel the same way, Kono-chan. We've gone through a lot to get to this point, and I will not suffer any attempt to separate us." Sighing, she brought slender fingers up to rub at her creased forehead, eyes closed in thought. "However, there is very little we can do if I am forced to leave the academy- or, if your father decides to return you to Kyoto, as he would have every right to. Teenage pregnancy is not something to be taken lightly, Kono-chan, and although I would say there are some extenuating circumstances excusing us-" and her lips twisted wryly "-I doubt an '_oops_' is going to be acceptable in our case."

Konoka _hmph_ed and crossed her arms. "This is all _Chamo's_ fault. If he just told us what we were getting into…"

"...it wouldn't have stopped you, and you know it." Setsuna shook her head, wry smile growing just a little wider. "You were wearing your _special _underwear, Kono-chan- even without the aftermath of the battle, I know you probably planned on… well…"

Watching a pink flush spread over her usually calm-and-collected girlfriend's face, Konoka giggled. "Okay, so maybe I was. There's nothing wrong with wanting to go all the way with the woman you're very much in love with, and maybe it didn't go quite as planned, but we were together and that was all that I wanted." Her eyes a little dreamy, Konoka smiled at the fond memory, standing out amongst the terror of pursuit and the horror of the bloody aftermath. "But it doesn't make a difference, anyway; what's done is done and can't be undid. All we have to do is stick to our guns, Set-chan. If we tell them before they find out, and put up a united front while we're at it, there's no way they can separate us. Even if they try, I won't let them." Serious now, she smacked a dainty fist against her open palm. "I don't care if Grandpa says I'm supposed to marry some random guy I've never met, and I don't care what daddy has to say about 'losing my virtue'- _I love you_, and I'm having this baby with you. And, and if we have to leave Mahora, we're leaving _together_."

Setsuna reached for her hand, squeezing gently. "I love you too, Kono-chan." Turning her gaze to the heights of the school buildings in the distance, the dean's office towering over the smaller buildings clustered around it, the hanyou swordswoman grit her jaw and chased away the shuddering nervousness that had roiled in her blood since realising what Eishun's visit would hold for them. The foreboding that weighed heavily in her gut became a little lighter; in the back of her mind the demon stirred, incapable of understanding her feelings of trepidation: if there was a threat to one's mate, one's _egg_- then one removed the threat and was done with it.

_I don't think it's going to be as simple as that._ Even if the demon saw such interference as an obstacle to be struck quickly and violently from her path (the bloodier the better; there was no room for mercy in the defence of one's nest, and if that meant maiming her enemies as a means of warning against further attacks, so be it) the more rational swordswoman in Sakurazaki Setsuna knew it to be not so.

_Eishun-sama is not a _beast_; he is a just and honourable man who has safeguarded the Kansai Magic Association in the place of the ojou-sama, and I doubt he will tear us apart so cruelly if we go and explain what happened calmly and clearly. No doubt he will be shocked, but with luck, we should hopefully be able to garner his support and ask for his advice. At any rate, he won't be arriving until this afternoon, just before the security meeting preceding tonight's patrol. That gives us time in which to plan how exactly to explain that in a few months time, the Konoe clan is going to get a little bigger…_

"Set-chan?"

"Hmm? Sorry, I was just thinking." Looking down to the slender fingers tangled with her own, Setsuna felt her heart squeeze in her chest, heavy with the love she felt for the woman whose hand was so very warm against hers.

_I will not let us be parted. I will _not_, and I will fight for you, blade and claw and wing if I have to._ (The demon agreed, ruffling feathers and tensing talons in the darkness of her subconscious; the two very different sides of her spirit in true accord, united in their love for Konoe Konoka and their as yet unborn child- and more than prepared to lay waste to all that stood before them if need be.)

"We should head back… Asuna's probably wondering where we got to. Come on, Set-chan; we can think about it some more after lunch." Standing, the brunette reached out to the slender woman seated on the bench before her- and without hesitation, Setsuna took the proffered hand.

"You're right. Some things are better thought of on a full stomach."

Tangling her fingers with those of her love, Setsuna headed back to the dorms more confident than she had felt since before finding out she was a mother-to-be, certain that whatever faced them next, it would be easily surmounted, just as long as she had her Kono-chan beside her.

* * *

"Seriously, Asuna. I left you alone for two hours. _Two hours_, and already you've managed to spill the beans to Haruna, Nodoka and Yue, not to mention _Negi_ of all people." Sighing, Konoka ran a slender hand through brown hair, disapproving gaze heavy where it fell on the girls -and lone, somewhat puzzled, teenage boy- gathered before her on the couch. "I'm starting to think I should've just made a statement for Asakura and published a damn press release."

"Um… I'm sorry…?" If it were possible for the redhead to look more sheepish than she already did, Setsuna for one would have been very surprised. As it was, the swordswoman merely crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back into the couch as Asuna squirmed. Konoka, standing before her, took half a step backwards and fell heavily into the cushioned seat beside her girlfriend.

"And don't think I'm not cheesed at you either, Paru. I mean, _really_, gossip-mongering is one thing, but taking advantage of Asuna, who, let's face it, isn't the _brightest_ crayon in the box-"

"_I_ _suppose I deserved that_," mumbled the abashed schoolgirl.

"-just to further your own curiosity? That's… kinda lowdown and _dirty_. I would've expected better of you, and I certainly didn't think the both of you'd go along with it, either." The last directed at a shame-faced Yue and Nodoka, the latter of whom looked as though she'd burst into tears at any minute. Haruna, shifting uncomfortably on her cushion, flushed and scratched absentmindedly at the back of her neck.

"I know this looks bad, Konoka, but really, my intentions were pure- well, _mostly_," amended the mangaka at the incredulous look sent her way. "And the other two aren't to blame for this. It was my idea, I just dragged them into it." Steeling herself for a tongue-lashing (Konoka could mother-lecture like the best when she was in a mood) Haruna pushed her glasses back onto her nose. "So, if you're gonna get mad at someone, let it be _me_."

"That's not true, Paru." Shaking her head with enough force to set her hair whipping back and forth, Nodoka drew herself up to her -full, albeit diminutive- height, blue eyes determined. "We're just as much to blame." Turning back to the brunette, her sweet face narrowed with just a touch of anger. "We were all _worried_ about you, and if maybe you had just _talked_ to us about the things that've been bothering you of late, then we wouldn't have had to go to such extremes! _Um_, I mean…" wind gone from her sails, she slumped a little, hanging her head forward and shielding her eyes behind her fringe.

"She's right, Konoka," agreed Yue softly. "We worry about you too, and though we know you have plenty of support with Setsuna-san by your side, it would do a lot to ease our fears if you would confide in us as well. Though I admit Haruna doesn't make it easy to trust us with your secrets." Though dry humour warmed her words, Yue gave the girl seated beside her a reproachful look.

Haruna, still flushed with embarrassment, held her hands up in surrender. "Look, I'm sorry alright? I know, I know, curiosity killed the cat-girl and all that, but really, give me a chance will you? I haven't gone and blabbed to anyone yet… well, except _Negi_, and that was kind of an accident. _Eh heh heh_…"

Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose, Konoka let her gaze fall on her young teacher, perched on the edge of the coffee table, quietly thoughtful as he took in the conversation flowing about him. "Negi? You haven't said anything yet. What…" swallowing down her nerves, Konoka dragged in a deep breath. "What do _you_ think about all this?"

Starting a little, the boy in question looked down at his hands, knotted anxiously in his lap. "I won't deny it hasn't been a shock, Konoka-san. I mean… as your teacher, I suppose I should be disapproving- in principle, at least. You're in your last year of high-school, and should be considering your future path and aiming towards university, not preparing for the birth of your first child. You too, Setsuna-san," the boy added, a small note of hesitancy creeping into his voice. "And whilst I am not one to talk about the impropriety of children born outside of wedlock, something I personally consider a little old-fashioned, particularly in regards to my own heritage- and I'm getting off track." Bringing a long-fingered hand up to knead at his creased forehead, their young teacher frowned.

"What I'm trying to say here is that I think your timing is a little poor, and although I understand that this situation is not exactly your fault -and _believe me_ I intend to have a few strong words with Chamo about leaving important information unsaid when I find him- I do, _however_, expect the pair of you to take responsibility like the mature, intelligent young women I know you to be." Nodding, Negi let slip his teachery façade a little, a warm smile creeping across his features. "All of that said, I can't help but feel happy for you as well. _A baby!_ That's _wonderful_ news, and I hope the both of you will consider me as a candidate for godfatherhood- I'd make a jolly good one if I do say so myself."

Konoka and Setsuna looked at one another, relieved smiles breaking out across their worried faces. The brunette sighed and took her lover's hand, turning back to their young teacher with hope in her eyes. "You'll support us then, Negi? We have to break the news to my father and grandfather somehow, and I get the feeling things will go smoother if you can vouch for us."

"_Of course!_" Negi mock-frowned at them both, mouth twitching with a boyish grin where he tried to school it into a stern grimace. "I'm _offended_ you think I wouldn't."

The brunette laughed then, a small burst of sound, more out of relief than anything else; but it was catching, and before long the whole group of them had collapsed into giggles, even Negi letting loose with a few hearty chuckles.

"_Hoo_," sighed Haruna a good ten minutes later, wiping away tears from eyes still scrunched with mirth. "Oh man, it feels so _good_ not to be fretting. I mean, _damn_, but if you've been all freaked out like that for that past couple of days Konoka, I'm not surprised you seemed a bit depressed. I tried it for half an hour and I nearly had a heart attack." Wiping her glasses and sliding them back into place, the vivacious young woman slumped back against the couch. "Seriously though, what do you want us to do now? Spilling the beans about you two knocking boots was one thing -and that was mainly because you'd gone and hooked up right under my nose without even sharing the dirty details- but this is a whole 'nother ball game. If you ask me to -and as much as it pains me to keep a secret this _juicy_ to myself- I'll keep my mouth shut."

"That's right- now that we know, we're not going to tell anyone if you don't want us to." Yue leant forward a little at that, young face serious. "That said, I don't think you'll be able to keep this a secret for too long Konoka- at about three months you'll start to show and from then it's only a matter of time before it becomes obvious."

"We're going to talk to Eishun-sama and the headmaster tonight." Setsuna, quiet for some time, spoke with calm confidence. "After that… well, we'll see."

As though the swordswoman's words were the catalyst, silence fell heavily upon the small group, each member drawn into their own thoughts. It took a little longer for Asuna to speak up, but when she did, it was slowly and with great seriousness that she brought her thoughts to bear.

"Okay, so I've got a question. Negi," she began, and the boy in question tilted his head at her tone, "why doesn't this _bother_ you?"

"I'm sorry… I'm not sure what you mean, Asuna."

"Maybe I'm not saying it right…" The redhead frowned, bringing her hands up to rest her chin on them. "Look, Konoka and Setsuna are both _girls_, right?"

"Of course. And two lovely young women at that." The beaming smile the young man -_boy_, thought Asuna, _still a boy no matter how you paint him, even for all his fancy words not yet a man- _sent at the ladies in question made the brunette giggle and the swordswoman quirk a dark eyebrow.

"And Konoka's pregnant. With _Setsuna's_ baby."

Negi waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, yes- generally that's the way it works. It's the miracle of new life Asuna, but I'm not sure what your point is."

Asuna felt a muscle twitch in her forehead. Nearby, and trying not to show how very amused she was, Haruna sniggered. Yue, without knowing exactly what was to come next, nevertheless felt trepidation curdle in her stomach.

"Look, Negi, you know where babies… _come from_, right?"

The boy teacher blinked, once, twice- and then his face lit up with sudden understanding. "Oh. _Oh_. Yes, of course I do." Sitting up a little straighter, Negi brushed unseen dust from his trousers and cleared his throat with a faint _harrumph_. "Although I am a little surprised you would come to me of all people to ask this, I appreciate the confidence you have placed in me, and as your teacher, I suppose I can explain…"

"Oh, this is gonna be _good_," whispered Haruna in an aside to Nodoka, who flushed bright pink to the very roots of her hair, having caught on to where this conversation was heading with alarming speed.

Oblivious to the growing puzzlement on the redhead's pretty face and the sly grin spreading over Konoka's, Negi coughed gently into a fist. "You see, Asuna, _when two people love each other very much-"_

"_What?_" yelped the teen, getting the message horrifyingly quick, "_No_. No, _god_, no_. _N. O. I am _not_ having this conversation, and especially _not_ with you."

Confused but somewhat relieved (he had _not_ been looking forward to trying to explain this _particular_ topic to any of his students should it arise), Negi's shoulders slumped. "But you said-"

"_I know where babies come from_," blurted Asuna, hiding her eyes behind her hands in shame. "And _stop laughing_, Haruna, it isn't helping." Peeking through her fingers at a thoroughly befuddled boy-teacher, she sighed. "What I meant, Negi, was whether you understood the… uh, mechanics. Um. You know."

Her young teacher crossed his arms. "Asuna, if you are trying to ask me, in a manner I can only assume is your attempt to be tactful, whether or not I understand that it is -without medical assistance- impossible for two women to conceive a child, then I can lay your fears to rest and assure you that whilst I may be young, I am not as dumb as I look." Negi, smiling benignly up at the redhead, suppressed a chuckle. "Really, Asuna; you have an awfully low opinion of me sometimes. I am perfectly aware that it was most likely a side-effect of their pactio that caused Konoka-san and Setsuna-san to conceive."

"Then why did you let me believe you didn't, you little twerp! _Argh_!" tugging at her hair, the fiery schoolgirl rounded on Haruna, who had long since collapsed into laughter beside a mortified Nodoka. "And _you_! _Stop laughing at me, dammit!_"

Choking back her giggles with a sound best described as _snerk_, the mangaka shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Red; you're just so funny when you're mad. You look like you're gonna pop a vein or something."

"_Haruna!"_

"Asuna having a fit aside," said Konoka, finally deciding that perhaps now was a good time to move on, "Set-chan and I are going to have lunch, and then get ready to face the music. Daddy's going to be here soon, and we can't put it off forever." Standing, she stretched her arms out with a groan, rolling her head from side to side as the joints in her neck and shoulders popped. "I can only hope breaking the news to him and grandpa goes as easy as breaking it to you lot."

"Which I believe is our cue to leave," said Yue, planting her hands on her knees. A determined light glittered in deeply expressive eyes; curiosity flickered over Nodoka's face- Yue only got that look before embarking on a particularly intriguing research project. "Come on girls, we'd best head back- we've imposed on Konoka and Setsuna-san enough for one day."

"Hey, this is my room too, ya know," grumbled Asuna, but there was no malice in her words, and she too hugged the members of the library exploration club farewell. Bidding the girls and their teacher goodbye with a wave, Haruna turned to her fellow club member with a look of interest.

"Whatever are you thinking about? It looks like you've had an idea or something. You couldn't wait to get out of there."

The shortest member of their trio shrugged, heavy braids slumping over her shoulders.

"I'll tell you about it later. For now, we should get to the library. I… I think there's something we can do to help here, but I need to look something up first…" brushing short locks of azure hair from a wide, clear forehead, she set her determined gaze upon her companions. "You'll help me, right?"

Nodoka nodded, fringe flopping into her eyes in a tangle of soft violet, said "Of course! I'd like to see you try and stop me," and then flushed at her own boldness. Yue turned towards Haruna, who merely grinned, and slapped her diminutive friend on the back, hard enough to make her crumple a little as her knees threatened to give way.

"You got it, Yue. Let's hit those books!"

* * *

Konoe Eishun, captain of the Kansai Shinmeiryuu and current acting elder of the Kansai Magic Association, would not have considered himself a harsh man. He knew that he was, perhaps, a little rough around the edges; years of being a swordsman and widower had not exactly given him the best understanding of women, even if the woman in question was his daughter. Sometimes he wished that he had spent more of her youth with Konoka; gotten to know the complex young lady his little girl had become- but the duties he had inherited from his position, the responsibilities he had taken on in place of her mother and would hold until she was of age, left him with little time to think back on his regrets.

But even if he did not play as big a role in her life as he could hope, he knew his daughter was a good girl; he knew she worked hard at school, didn't stay out late partying and tried to make him and her grandfather proud in any way she could. She studied magic under Evangeline, and hile an undead sorceress of unimaginable power and soul-stealing evil would not have been his first choice as a teacher, he knew that in due time she would become every inch the mage she held the promise to be, and take up the mantle of elder of both the Kanto and Kansai Magic Associations when she came of age.

_I am a lucky man to have such a wonderful daughter. If your mother were alive to see you Konoka, she would be so proud._

With all of this in mind, Eishun nonetheless found himself acting in the finest tradition of fathers everywhere when he walked into the dean's office to find his daughter waiting for him, seated on the edge of her grandfather's desk; his stomach immediately dropped down to his shoes, leaving the hollow space behind it bubbling with dread as the apple of his eye, his one and only daughter lifted her pretty face, turned big brown eyes up to him and said softly "Daddy, we need to _talk_."

_Oh gods. I knew was too good to be true. Having a wonderful daughter like this, it's too much and now something horrible has happened…_

_She has cancer. She's joining the eco-commune at the university. She's been expelled- no wait, her grandfather's the dean, there's no way that happened. She's decided to elope with Negi. Her roommate's gambled away the rent money and now she has to live on the streets… Don't worry honey, I'll support you! You can come back home with me!_

"Daddy?" Smoothing her hair back from her face, Konoka bit her lip. "This is… _hard_. A lot of things have happened since I saw you last and… and it's not easy to just…" Swallowing, she looked down at her feet for a moment, swinging back and forth to bump gently against the wood panelling of the desk, and Eishun felt his heart twist in his chest that his own child was so nervous about speaking her worries to him. "Please, can you sit down? It's kinda hard to talk to you when you're looming in the doorway…"

"Uh, right." Drawing closer to the desk, he took an uneasy seat in front of her. "Konoka? Honey? You know whatever it is that's bothering you, you can tell me, right?" Looking up at his little girl, he felt another little twist in his chest, and a sudden pang of longing for his late wife. _Every day she looks more and more like you…_ Shaking his head to dispel his nostalgia, he tried to reassure his daughter with a smile. "I'm your father, and I'll love you no matter what you have to say."

Looking a little startled and liftingher head up once more, Konoka smiled back at her father, who shifted his gangly frame uneasily in his small seat. "I know. I love you too, Daddy."

A thought struck him then; glancing quizzically around the room and noticing that his father-in-law was very conspicuously absent, he blinked up at Konoka. "Where's-"

"Grandpa? I asked him to wait outside for me. We talked to him earlier today, just before you came in. We thought that… that things might go easier if I talked to you alone, and grandpa agreed."

'_We' talked to him earlier today… who's 'we'? _Eishun fought to keep his face schooled into an expression of parental concern, even though sudden foreboding pricked him. _I think I know where this is going and I'm not sure I like it…_ Giving no sign of his suspicions, he merely nodded. "Fair enough. Whenever you're ready."

Steeling herself in a manner that Eishun would have found shockingly familiar if he could only know what he looked like when preparing to go into battle, the brunette clenched her hands on her knees and sat up straighter. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out." She dragged in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Dad, I'm gay."

Eishun blinked.

_Okay, so I wasn't expecting that_, was the first dazed thought to come to mind. He'd been vaguely expecting something along the lines of '_Dad, I have a boyfriend'_ or possibly '_Dad, I've decided to drop out of school and follow in Evangeline's footsteps as an evil, conniving supervillain'_ although he had to admit the last was a bit of a long shot. But this…

He blinked again, unable to do much else, and then felt a sudden rush of guilt as Konoka peeked out at him through one half-opened eye, only to flinch and slam it shut when he opened his mouth to speak, as though afraid to hear what he had to say in response. He frowned, brows pinching tight across a broad forehead, and lifted one hand to run through dark hair.

"Konoka, I… I won't say I'm not a little shocked, because I am, but…" Taking a deep breath, he let a soft smile ease across his mouth. _But you're my daughter, and I love you, and that's all there is to it._

"I admire your bravery in telling me that even though you were scared of how I would react." Reaching across, Eishun took her small hand in his own, large one and shook his head at the fine tremors making her fingers jitter against his. His daughter opened her eyes slowly, something like fear fading from them at the gentleness of his tone.

"Thank you for telling me. I can see why you were nervous… but… well, it's not that much of a surprise. I mean, you were very vehement about not liking any of the men your grandfather tried to pair you up with in those o-miai's." He smoothed a calloused thumb over her knuckles, wondering at the hope welling in soft brown, and felt himself chuckle a little. "I can even remember you telling me when you were six that you were going to marry Setsuna-san when you grew up."

"Really? I- I don't remember that," mumbled Konoka, face suddenly a little paler, sweat peppering her hairline. He supposed the shock of… well, _coming out with it_, as it were, was finally sinking in and gripped her hand a little tighter.

"It's okay, honey. It's… a little strange to think that one day I might have a… a daughter-in-law instead of a son, but it's not bad. Just a little different." Leaning forward impulsively, he scooped his little girl into a hug, felt her stiffen- then relax and throw her arms around him like she used to when she was smaller, the rush of memory bringing the faint sting of tears to his eyes.

"Oh Dad… I'm so relieved… I don't know what I would have done if you'd taken it badly," sniffled Konoka, rubbing her head on his shoulder. Brown hair tickled against his cheek, and Eishun felt something warm twist in his chest. Sitting back, he smiled as she scooted back onto the desk, dainty feet bumping once more against the oak panelling.

Wiping away the merest traces of tears from her cheeks, his daughter sighed and bunched her hands together in her lap, visibly nervous once more, and Eishun felt his smile falter a little.

"There's more though. More to… tell you, I mean."

"More?" _More is not good. More is _never_ good._

"Uh-huh." Konoka looked down then, soft brown eyes flicking to her feet, the floor, the door behind Eishun- anywhere but his face. "Dad, this next bit… it might be hard for you to hear. But I want you to know that I'm… I'm still your daughter. And no matter what you think of me, I want you to know that I believe- no, I _know_ I'm doing the right thing." The small hands bunched in her lap flattened out, palms smoothed flat and pressing on her knees. Finally raising her head, Konoka nodded determinedly at her father, a steely glint flickering in her gaze. "It's a long story- I want you to promise me you'll listen, that you'll let me finish no matter what I have to say."

Eishun felt something a little like awe at the resolve in his daughter's eyes, and knew, suddenly and quietly, that his little girl had grown up in the few months since he had seen her last; he'd looked away for a mere moment, and when he looked back it was to see a young woman before him, not the child he had left behind.

"I promise. Go on- I'll listen."

"Thank you." Konoka took another deep breath, straightening her back and gathering her thoughts. A moment passed, and then she closed her eyes and began to speak. "Dad, a little while ago now I entered into a probationary pactio with Set-cha- _Setsuna_. She and I are partners now. And since then, a lot of things have happened…"

And as the words poured forth, as his daughter explained the circumstances surrounding her pactio with the young woman he had charged with her safety and given the role of her bodyguard and the events that followed, Eishun felt himself grow still, falling into the unnatural calm that always took him over before battle. What Konoka told him was… unbelievable, to say the least, certainly shocking, and when she began to explain the symptoms that had caused her to visit the doctor, something icy clawed in his gut.

But he was a warrior of the Shinmeiryuu- and above all else, her _father_. He would not shy away from what his daughter had the courage to tell him -and as events unfolded in her clear, youthful voice, he was certain it took a considerable amount of courage to speak to him so candidly. Regardless of his pride in her honesty, however, was the fact that one of the main parties involved in the events she was outlining was one Sakurazaki Setsuna- and he had more than a few things to say to the young woman in question.

* * *

"This one would find it easy to believe you are preparing for a war, Mana-dono."

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Kaede was a ninja, shinobi, onmitsu- one of those trained in the secret arts of stealth and assassination. Most days, Kaede wore the mask of a lackadaisical half-wit, a slack smile and merry, slitted eyes the perfect cover for her true skills.

But not now. Mana eased a twitchy hand from her hip -it said something about her state of mind that she had gone straight for the holster even in her miko robes and hakama- and turned to where the shadow of a tree fell just a little thicker in the torchlight flickering over the courtyard. Around her -bearing wooden torches, lanterns and in a few cases, halogen spotlights- mages from the Kansai Magic Association swarmed about her shrine, tampering with the wards and barriers laid down by her bloodline and maintained for centuries; the casual invasion of her home had her on edge even though she was sure their intentions were pure.

The lithe figure of the kunoichi peeled herself away from the darkness shrouding branches draped heavily in leaves, blurring into focus even as the mottled edges of dappled shadows smoothed over her youthful face- but dark, slitted eyes were anything but childlike at this moment; something wary glittered in their depths.

_You are a warrior, and one trained in the art of chi-manipulation. Of course you feel it too._

Kaede smiled, disarming, but the guile in her eyes belied the gesture. "_Surely_ we are in no danger here. Not in the depths of your shrine, not with the wards so recently renewed, not with so many of the Shinmeiryuu patrolling the grounds so vigilantly."

Mana said nothing, and Kaede's smile turned sharp. "Though that assumes that you _trust_ them, Mana-dono."

The mercenary-turned-miko snorted. "I trust no-one. A lesson you'd better learn if you want to live long enough to use all of those ninja techniques you spend your whole weekend practicing in the mountains."

To her left, a group of young women -all of them miko, guided by a swordswoman in a business suit, her sharp voice cutting even as she chanted sutras for the protection and security of the shrine whose ancient walls housed centuries of spiritual power- fell silent, and the surge of power that crackled in glowing lines across the courtyard in weaving traceries of magic swept up her body, sending a shudder to ripple down her frame. Mana gritted her teeth against the sudden, bitter taste that flooded her mouth; she knew the reasons for these new barriers being laid, but that didn't make her comfortable with these strangers here, and their strange magic even less.

"_Ah?_ So Mana-dono has been _watching_ this one, then?"

Not even the teasing edge to that too-silken tone was enough to stir anger in her. It was too obvious that the young woman's words were an attempt to provoke a reaction, make her forget the tension that tightened her shoulders and made her jumpy; break the mood that had settled over her since the botched attempt to burn the shrine down around her. Letting a sighing breath trickle through her teeth, Mana forced herself to loosen her jaw and eased her shoulders back a little, and brushed a few strands of the dark hair swinging in a loose fall down her back away from her face.

"It was too clumsy."

Kaede nodded, the motion curt and businesslike, dark eyes flicking from miko to swordsman to mage as the patrol groups surrounding the shrine changed guard, under the watchful eye of a deputy swordswoman. "Yes. If our enemies had bothered to study your strengths, they would have known that you are no easy prey. There was no way that such a poor effort was genuine; perhaps not even a failed attempt to measure your abilities. The demons summoned to assault the shrine fell far too easily to be considered an actual threat, and though damage was sustained, the shrine proper remained mostly intact. If anything, such an excursion should only bolster our defences- now that we are aware of their intentions, it will not be easy for such an occurrence to be repeated."

"Mm." _Which makes me think there is more to this than even your assessment has revealed, Kaede- but you know that, don't you? 'Our' enemies indeed. How many nights have you spent watching my shrine?_

"This was a distraction, Mana-dono, and a poorly thought out one at that. Our enemies have perhaps sought to discomfort us, by making such an easily rebuffed foray. If it had succeeded, I've no doubt your death and the destruction of the Mahora wards would have served them well, but I am confident that this attack, failed or not, was not merely a tool to gauge your skills and the strength of your defences. Though their purpose remains unknown, I do not believe that it was something so simple."

If she strained herself, pushed the limits of her perception, she could catch the merest edge of intrigue from the dappled, broken aura that shrouded the young woman lurking beneath the largest cherry-tree among the many that lined her courtyard; trained as she was to conceal herself in plain sight, Kaede had scattered her _chi _and even though Mana knew exactly where she was, her senses struggled to place the faint traces of life she could feel pulsing in bright points in the mottled darkness of the tree's shadow as a human being. But combat experience won out, and even with eyes closed against the jarring sense of wrongness that was unknown magics twisting alongside her father's wards, Mana knew the frown that creased Kaede's face as though it was in plain sight.

_You're good. Given time, you could be great. Pity for you I'm better._

"When does Mana-dono expect their next gambit?"

_Not if. When. You assume they will attack again, and though it is almost positive they will, I would say nothing is certain in this case._

"When whatever it is that they -whoever _they_ are- is trying to distract us from is finished." And if by 'us' Mana meant not so much the mage-teachers and members of the magic associations that called Mahora home, but rather her own self, present company included… well, the ninja had proven herself dependable of late, and while still a few years of battle-experience below her own level of skill, she was getting there. She sighed, but quietly; her breath barely stirred the few stubborn strands of dark hair that slipped over her shoulders.

"Are you worried?"

The kunoichi's words in the dark were a knife in her back: quick, sharp, to the point. There was no playfulness in those words, no tease or taunt; even the thoughtful tone that had coloured Kaede's words as she explained her reasons for believing the attempted destruction of her shrine a mere gambit was gone. Just a careful, measured neutrality, as though she believed that any trace of concern meant her question would be dismissed out of hand.

Mana frowned, not sure if she wanted to turn around to face the woman behind her. "I'm head of the security patrol. I have no room for doubt-"

"Commander, the wards are progressing smoothly, but we require your assistance in moving onto the main shrine; the barriers there require the presence of a family member."

The sudden appearance of a small cloister of mages to her left broke her thoughts; nodding acquiescence and giving assurance that she would enter the inner sanctum shortly, Mana watched the group depart with something like cool indifference. The moment, whatever it was or could've been, was gone; nothing but silence from behind her. The rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze suggested movement, but that too could be a mere mask for the stillness the kunoichi could draw about herself like a tattered cloak, and even that action was in itself the perfect disguise for Kaede's effortless, unnoticed disappearance.

_If I ever want a straight conversation with you, I'm going to have to pin your shadow to the wall first._

"_Commander?"_

"I'm coming." Leaving her thoughts to the shadowed the courtyard in the heavy boughs of the surrounding trees, Mana walked smoothly up the path to the shrine proper, shoulders as straight and undoubting as they ever were. She did not look back.

* * *

It was the way that she walked into the room -_calmly, confidently, with the air of one well-prepared for battle_- that surprised him the most.

Eishun thought her knew Setsuna fairly well: for the majority of her short life, the young woman had been under his command as both captain of the Shinmeiryuu and acting elder of the Kansai Magic Association, and he had been responsible -if not directly, then as overseer for all students based in Kansai- for the early years of her training as a swordswoman. Setsuna was, in his opinion, a brave, bright, bashful girl with an inferiority complex and a belief her mixed heritage made her unfit for all but servitude; and also a skilled student of the blade and committed to the absolute protection of his daughter in a way that only reminded him of his own attitude to his wife in their youth, leaving Eishun confident that there was no guardian more dedicated -more _devoted_- to Konoka than the young half-demon.

Seeing the grit and determination in dark, serious eyes -the girl's less-than-human traits carefully sealed away beneath layers of disguising magic to avoid conflict among the less-liberal members of his sword school- as she had knelt and laid Yuunagi before her, one slender hand pressed against the naked blade even as she begged for the chance to serve the young heiress, her child's voice clear and unwavering… well, he had seen no reason to turn her down, even if she was unusually young for the position of bodyguard.

(In retrospect, this was probably his first mistake.)

But reminiscing aside, the young woman that closed the small distance between the door and his daughter with quick, quiet steps was worlds apart from the half-starved orphan that had come to his door so long ago, or even the reticent, school-girl-swordswoman who had pledged herself to his service not much longer after that. The Setsuna he knew, the Setsuna that had proved herself a shy but skilled student and sworn death before dishonour in Konoka's name, the Setsuna who blushed and stammered and called herself _unworthy_- that girl was long gone, barely a shadow of the woman before him now.

There was no doubt in her stance, no fear in her eyes; her voice, when she spoke to greet him, did not shake. Even Konoemon, sweeping regally into the room and closing the doors behind him with a lazy flick of his hand (the briefest flare of magic glowing at his wizened fingertips) seemed impressed, eyes twinkling with barely suppressed delight as Setsuna reached out and took Konoka's hand in her own, startling a soft sound from the young woman seated nervously on her grandfather's desk.

Dark eyes, shading to a smoky silver where the afternoon light struck them, met his own, unflinching in the sudden tension that twitched in his temple and ground his teeth together. He had promised himself he'd hear the girl out, for Konoka's sake if nothing else, but that gesture was too much like defiance for someone who had already dared so much.

Because there was a difference between daring and disobedience, and her actions crept far too close to insubordination; he'd overlooked the rules about fraternisation for the sake of his daughter -Setsuna was her first, and for the longest time, her _only_ friend- but this was a few steps beyond _that_ entirely.

"_Really_, Eishun; you look like you've swallowed a lemon. Anyone would think you'd been told you were going to have a root canal as opposed to a _grandchild_." Konoemon chuckled as he crossed to his desk, taking his seat in the plush leather chair behind it even as Konoka flushed and shuffled backwards on the desk. "Today is a day of happy news! You should be pleased that your daughter has shared such joyous tidings," and here he beamed at the young brunette, old eyes soft with mirth and affection and perhaps a touch of mischief, "although I must say the circumstances behind such a development are a little unexpected- and quite possibly in direct violation of a number of school regulations." He winked at Konoka then, and she lowered her gaze a little, face flushed and suddenly shy, fingers squeezing Setsuna's hand a little tighter.

Something sharp ached in Eishun's chest, twisted in his gut; but it did not show on his face and no-one else noticed, so Konoemon continued blithely on.

"This situation has certainly thrown a good many of my plans out the window, so to speak, but all in all, I must say that I am _more_ than happy to be a great-grandfather. Though I did not expect to be one _so soon_," and a note of faint disapproval crept into the elderly mage's cheerful voice, a momentary flash of sternness passing over his wise face, "I do understand that you were both unaware of the greater consequences of your actions, and the circumstances were quite… _unique_, but that is no excuse for carelessness; I expect the both of you to take full responsibility."

The two young women before him looked at each other a moment, something meaningful passing between them, and when Setsuna next spoke, it was without taking her eyes from Konoka's sweetly smiling face. "Of course. The ojou-sama- I mean, _Kono-chan_ and I have talked about this, and we've decided that although we didn't expect it, we're going to take the opportunity we've been given." Setsuna managed to tear her gaze away long enough to favour Konoemon with a small but determined smile. "If… if magic has given me the chance to have a baby with the woman I love, to stay by her side as more than… more than just her _bodyguard_, then there's no doubt that I'll do just that-"

"_No."_

The word slipped out before he could stop it, and once it was spoken Eishun found he didn't really want to. The sound hung thick and heavy in the air, the room rippling with tension as Setsuna's head turned unerringly towards him, shock and disbelief and something like anger warring in her gaze -and the thought that _how dare she_, how _dare_ she look at him with anger, when it was _her_ that was doing the wrong thing here, _her_ that had overstepped the boundaries of her relationship with _his daughter_, and if _anyone_ was going to be angry here, it should be _him!_ churned hot in his head.

"Daddy?"

Eishun dragged in a deep breath through gritted teeth, and the fact that the air tasted sharp and bitter helped his fraying nerves not at all. It had been a very, very long time since last he felt rage like this, a snarling, clawing beast in his belly- not even in battle was his calm so easily lost. He had, over many years, earned a reputation for being cool and collected even against insurmountable odds; in the skirmishes of his youth, against human or demon alike, he had easily proven himself better than his enemies in composure if not also skill. And when rage had woken in him, it had been controllable, manageable, a dull burn in the back of his mind, just another weapon in his armoury… but this, _this-!_

_This_ was a twisting clamour in his blood, a burning backwash in his mind, a taut anger drawn tight in his shoulder and blurring his vision… a fury unbefitting a man of his stature, his position, his _age_; certainly immature, certainly irrational -_Setsuna was just a child after all; no one could expect her to take her vows of loyalty seriously_- in the face of his daughter's explanation, but no less infuriating. He swallowed hard, throat tight and clenched, just like the long-fingered hands that twisted into fists by his side and managed to take a step towards the desk, towards his daughter and her bodyguard-

-who noticed the strain on his face, the thin lines of his mouth drawn tight, the vein that pulsed erratically at one temple even as the swordsman struggled to take calming breaths, the tense and miserable anger in sombre eyes burning behind their glasses… and let her hand slip loose from her lover's hold, taking a small but enormously significant half-step forward-

-placing her slender frame squarely between Konoka and Eishun.

Anything he might have said caught in his throat, stuttered and died as outrage crashed through him at that last, unmistakeable gesture of defiance.

_...what? You would- you would _dare_ to stand between me and my daughter…?_

As though she had heard that unvoiced thought, Setsuna lifted her chin, looking up at him with eyes that flashed silver, demon burning through the dark shadows of her normally unreadable gaze -_she's broken her seal, broken it just like her vows, the demon in her has free reign just as I knew it would-_ shook her head, one hand coming to rest oh-so-casually on the strap of her shoulder bag, the soft cloth sheath where he knew Yuunagi was hidden-

-and even as Konoemon cleared his throat with an urgent _harrumph_, lifting wrinkled hands in a peaceable gesture and Konoka took a trembling gasp-of-a-breath, it was far too late-

-and Eishun _exploded_ forth a blur of movement, lunging for Setsuna before she could even blink.

"_Daddy! No-!"_

* * *

Eishun's sword came free in a wicked flash of steel, the slats of sunlight pouring through wide windows casting brilliant rainbows from its razored edge; the swordsman swung his blade up and around even as Setsuna somersaulted backwards from the desk -_small feet pushing off the heavy wood with a muffled thump as she propelled herself up and out, ponytail swinging and a handful of dark strands fluttering down where the edge of a blade caught her hair_- drawing the danger out and away from Konoka, and ripped Yuunagi from her sheath in a hurried movement that scattered scraps of fabric in a drifting cloud.

"You _traitor_," growled Eishun, bringing steel against steel in a ringing clash that sent tremors of shock racing up the swordswoman's slender arms, "how I _ever_ trusted you with Konoka when you could betray us like this I will never know!" shoving forward, Eishun snapped his leg out, trying to take Setsuna's feet out from under her; only a quick-thinking backstep and slide sideways -bringing her wakizashi up for extra support as Eishun brought his blade crashing back against her nodachi in a screech of steel- saved her from a toppling fall.

_I've never- never seen Eishun-sama so _angry_…_

The demon inside her was _screaming_, enraged and calling for blood to be spilt as recompense for this insult, and a small part of Setsuna couldn't help but agree. All she had done was serve her ojou-sama as the young heiress's needs demanded, as bodyguard, friend and finally lover- that was no reason to try to part her head from her shoulders, right? It wasn't like she'd broken any rules-

"_I swore to the Shinmeiryuu, in word, blood and deed, that I would not fail you; I swore to your father that every breath I drew would be to ensure your safety-"_

Crippling guilt twisted like a knife in her gut and Setsuna barely held off another blow that, had it landed, would have shattered her bones and split her flesh; a sword just as cold and sharp as her remorse flashed and spun out from her clumsy block, coming in for another slash; Eishun snarled, teeth bared, and sent her skittering back across the polished floorboards with a vicious, double-handed swing.

"You swore to protect her, even from yourself! Liar! Deserter! _Oath-breaker!_" His voice was thick with anger, hands shaking about the hilt of his sword- but Eishun's sudden, shocking loss of composure was not enough to dampen his skill, and a blisteringly fast slash that tore the air with a shriek knocked Yuunagi from her grip in a flash of blue light-

-sending the half-demon to her knees, hands numb to the elbow, her blade clattering onto the floor, too far away for her to reach; Eishun, before her, sword lifting, her own reflection splintering across the rippled edge as she saw her death foretold on mirrored steel-

"_Set-chan! Set-chan! Daddy, STOP-!" _Konoka screaming even as her grandfather held her back, the air around her shimmering with heat as her gathering, uncontrollable power threatened to scorch them all, Konoemon raising a hand that blazed with magic-

"Eishun! Stop this madness, _right now_!"

_**Thooooom-!**_

Eishun's eyes blew wide as coils of twisting light snaked about him in a rush of bone-shaking magic; his breath burst from his chest in a ragged gasp as the headmaster's spell tore his katana from his grip and sent it spinning across the room to knife upright into the floorboards, where it came to a stop with a tortured _thrum-mm-mm_; the swordsman himself was thrown in the other direction, lifted bodily from his feet and slammed into the wall, cracking the plaster with a heavy _whump _and sliding down to the floor in a shower of brick dust and cracked stone.

"That is _enough_!" snapped Konoemon, stepping forth from his desk, one arm holding Konoka securely across the shoulder as tears glittered in her soft brown eyes. "I am _ashamed_ to call you my son-in-law! You nearly killed the poor girl! She's a _child_, show some mercy."

Eishun, rocking onto his side, coughed and spat blood onto the floorboards, the bands of power binding him tight and restricting. "She is no _child_- and the moment she broke her vows to the Shinmeiryuu, the moment she placed her own desires before her ward's needs, she lost whatever right she had to claim mercy from me." He lifted his head, dark hair dusted with flakes of plaster and streak of red dripping down from his forehead; turning his gaze to the cowed half-demon, still kneeling in shock where she'd nearly lost her head, he spoke, voice soft and miserable.

"You… you swore, you _swore_ to me, to _Konoka_, that you would always and only be by her side, as her protector against all the dangers of the world. And I _believed_ you. I left her in your hands, Setsuna, because in you I saw her safety, and for a while you were the best bodyguard I could hope to give her. But now… but now I come here to Mahora after hearing of the wards weakening and demon incursions, only to find that you have not only overstepped the boundaries and, and, _and gotten her_ _pregnant_ -gods alone know _how_- but _forsaken your duty_."

Setsuna shivered, and in the back of her mind the demon, quivering with rage, fell silent. Something like despair swept up and over her, even the blazing surety that her love for Konoka was _right_, was _good_ and _true_, flickering a little in the face of crushing doubt.

_I just… I just wanted to be with her. I just wanted to love her. That's not wrong. It _can't_ be…_

"Perhaps I was wrong to entrust her to you. Perhaps this was all a mistake on my part."

Konoemon frowned, face etched with lines of worry. "Eishun, what are you saying? These girls love each other, are meant to be with one another- surely that they've gotten a child together against the odds is a sign of that if nothing else. You can't think to tear them apart-"

Eishun shook his head, wincing as the bonds about him drew tight. "You don't understand. I am not just Konoka's father, I am acting elder of the Kansai Magic Association -a charge _you_ gifted me with, Father, at least until Konoka comes of age- and the captain of the Shinmeiryuu. What Setsuna has done defies me in all of these roles; she has betrayed my trust in her as my daughter's companion, betrayed my trust in her as my vassal, and, most of all, she has betrayed us all as a swordswoman sworn to protect and uphold until death. She has broken Shinmeiryuu law. For her actions, there is and can only be one recompense: _death_."

_...what?_

Konoka's reaction was swift and immediate; tearing herself from her grandfather's hold, she raced to Setsuna's side, dropping down to wrap her arms around the shell-shocked young woman, pulling her partner close to her chest.

"You can't. You can't. I- I- _I won't let you_. She's my partner. If you, _if you kill her_- you kill me too. And my _baby_." Her voice broke on the last word, tears finally spilling free, pouring down her cheeks in fat droplets. "I won't let you, Dad. I don't know how, but I'll stop you."

"Konoka…" Eishun hung his head, face hidden, and Setsuna could not tell if it was anger or sadness that choked his voice.

Konoemon waved his hand; the glowing bands of power lashed about Eishun's chest and arms collapsed into nothingness, and he slumped, dragging in deep gulps of air. "You cannot. If you hurt her, Eishun, if you take her life- you will not be forgiven. I admit what you say she has done is a serious transgression-" Konoka's head jerked over to her grandfather, something like anger writ in her eyes for this betrayal of support, even with tears still on her cheeks, "-but death is not the answer. Even if Shinmeiryuu law calls for it, surely there is another way…?"

"Exile."

_No. No! I won't leave Kono-chan, I can't-! I won't be taken from her side!_

"Setsuna… Setsuna must leave. She must leave, and never again come back."

Konoka cried protest, and Konoemon frowned, opening his mouth for rebuttal- but by then Setsuna was already standing, pulling her startled lover upright with one gentle hand curled about her arm, and over the roaring of her pounding pulse in her ears -_the demon enraged and howling at the thought someone would _dare_ try to part them from their _mate_, their _egg- she heard herself speak.

"No."

It was almost shockingly easy. She hadn't ever expected to be capable of such, such defiance -_gods knew she owed more than just her life to Eishun, more than merely her _life_; everything she had now was partly due to the decision to take her in the swordsman had made so long ago_- but now that she was actually standing, and had just told her captain that no, she would not allow herself to be exiled, would not allow herself to be taken away from the woman she loved because of some law made by some old guy in a funny hat -_Konoka's words from weeks before ringing clear and sharp in the back of her mind_- there was no doubt that it was only getting easier as the seconds passed, even if something like fear twisted low in her gut.

But as her hand slid slowly down Konoka's arm, tangling their fingers together, the chill in her veins melted away in a blur of warmth and confidence.

_No. I have made this decision. I will not back down. I will not be afraid._

_Breathe. Remember to breathe. In. Out. _

_In._

_Out._

"No. I'm not leaving." The words came easier now as the tension in her chest loosened, slipped from her lips as though it was the simplest thing in the world to deny her own death sentence -_because even merely exiled, it would be death without Konoka, no life at all without her Kono-chan, without their child_- even as Eishun's eyes burned holes in her where his gaze fell.

"What." The word forced itself through gritted teeth, the swordsman smashing a hand into bloodied floorboards, and wood creaked as Eishun pushed himself upright, plaster dust cascading from him in little drifts of white. His fingers twitched, reached for his belt- but Eishun's katana was half-way across the room, blade still vibrating against the wooden floorboards it was embedded in.

Taking a step forward, Setsuna tugged Konoka behind her, placing herself between the young heiress and her father once more. Swallowing down the tightness in her throat, she steeled her nerves and spoke. "I'm not- I'm not leaving." Straightening her spine, the young hanyou pushed her shoulders back, shifting into a relaxed stance, and though her sword lay some few metres away from her, there was a readiness in her posture that had not been there before. "I am Konoka's bodyguard, and even if you say I have broken my vows, that will not change." The hand not tangled with Konoka's own lifted gently, slowly, delicate fingers outstretched-

-and Yuunagi, awaiting her master's call as ever she did, rose and shimmered, the merest lacing of willpower and chi rippling across metal, sending the nodachi flying across the room and coming to rest in Setsuna's hand. With deliberate care, the young woman swung Yuunagi down and across her body in a single graceful movement, the long blade coming to bear in a low and defensive guard.

"I will protect her. I will _always_ protect her. I love her, and _I'm not leaving_."

Expression twisted with disbelief, Eishun stood and stared, heedless of the blood that trickled red through the plaster dusting his face. Dark eyes slid from the blade's sharp edge and to her face, to the pale and unwavering eyes of the young swordswoman before him and he felt a swift stab of pride that even in the face of his not-inconsiderable anger, even with the knowledge that her actions amounted to treason and her death most likely awaited her, Setsuna was determined to stand by his daughter's side.

Shaking his head -_her actions were still unforgiveable_- his eyes narrowed sharply. There was no mistaking that stance, the subtle positioning of her sword and body between Konoka and himself; though her posture was non-aggressive, purely defensive, the hanyou could shift to attack in a heartbeat- and the determination that flickered in her gaze told him that if she believed it necessary, she would strike.

"Are you… _challenging_ me?"

Turning slightly, Setsuna drank in the sight of the woman behind her -_soft brown eyes glowing with anxiety, pretty face worried and dainty fingers tightening on her own_- and dragged in a deep breath.

"If… if that's what it takes to stay with Konoka, then… _yes_." Silvered eyes flicked to Eishun's face, her gaze hot and intense. "Konoe Eishun, captain of the Shinmeiryuu, acting elder of the Kansai Magic Association, father of the woman I love- _I challenge you_."

* * *

**End Part Eleven**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **…

…

…

(Takes a look at the cruel cliffhanger)

...I'm sorry? (hides under desk)

Please don't be mad, I promise that the next chapter will be better than this one. I just want to say thank you for all of your continued support- you guys have no idea how much it means to me that there are people who read my work, and enjoy what starting out as a silly, one-off idea I had one lazy afternoon.

One more thing before I let you go: to all those readers who leave me anonymous reviews, I love them all and I'm very grateful, but please don't ask me questions- I can't reply, and it kills me that I can't answer you!

To all my readers, thank you once more, wish me luck for the job interview I have tomorrow, and I'll see you in part twelve!


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER**: Mahou Sensei Negima, and especially Konoka and Setsuna (who are so very, very married and no one can tell me otherwise) belong to Ken Akamatsu and not yours truly.

**WARNING: **Okay, so after some reader input in previous chapters, I still feel the need to put this here. This fic is the product of Cloverfield's somewhat-addled mind, and may include the following: _traces of OoC_ (because I like to find character flaws and turn them up to eleven, and will indeed distort any characterisation for my own twisted purposes); _crack_ (because more often than not this was written late at night, or when drugged up on sugar); _elements of porn_ (because I have a dirty, _dirty_ mind and like seeing two girls grope each other); and _bizarre plotlines _(there's really no excuse for this one, just bear with me). Most significantly, _this fic should be treated as AU_, because that's how it was written; I started writing this fic shortly after reading the Budokai arc of the early chapters of the manga, and though I have followed the scanlations as they were released, this fic does _not_. As such, please consider all canon events that take place after Chao's return to the future and the summer break chapters of the manga to not have taken place for the purposes of EB_, including but not limited to _Asuna being a pretty, pretty princess who may or may not be related to Negi, the whole journey to the magic world and any subsequent pactios, and the sheer awesomeness that is Jack Rakan. Also, please be aware I tend to write really, really long chapters at sporadic intervals, so it is very unlikely this fic will be updated on a regular basis, but _it will be updated_. (Considering one of my friends / sounding boards actually knows where I live and is not afraid to threaten me with leading you all to my doorstep with pitchforks and torches should I fail to update, you should have no fears on that regard). I think that's all I need to warn you about, and if you spot anything else you think should be in here, please let me know.

**PREFACE: **I just want to say that this is not the chapter I wanted to post, and I am sorry about that, and sorry it took me so long for something I'm not wholly satisfied with. (Detailed Author's Note at end of chapter.) Thanks to Toratchi888, Elgin, all of my dear friends; my muse and the love of my life, and as always, all of you for sticking with me this far.

* * *

**Egg Belly**

* * *

**Part Twelve**

* * *

To say that dinner was subdued event would have been a gross understatement.

Ever since Setsuna had starting dating Konoka -although Asuna supposed that _dating_ wasn't really the word for it, dating being something that stupid high school students giggled about while reading stupid articles in stupid girly magazines and the whole concept was entirely unrelated to magic and pactios and the sudden, shocking incidence of a _child_ or the prospect of challenging the father of the one you loved for the right to keep your head let alone to just stay with your lover- it had been common for the other girl to join them in the room they shared with Negi for dinner, the four of them chattering away at the table over the evening meal, and she'd gotten used to the way Setsuna would smile quietly and softly at Konoka and Konoka's eyes would glow warm and sweet whenever they drifted across her partner's face.

But no one was smiling tonight. It wasn't anything to do with the food, which tasted just fine like it always did, even if Asuna wasn't really tasting it at the moment- it was the way there was this grim determination in the line of Setsuna's shoulders, a subtle kind of tension which strung all the way through her posture and right down to her hands where they clutched too tightly at her cutlery, leaving her fingers white-knuckled and tight; it was the way Konoka was quiet and withdrawn, brown eyes dull and weary with that hollowness that comes when fear has been and gone and only emptiness remains.

It was so different from how it normally was that even Negi, _Negi_, mister-sunshine-and-good-will, 'keep your chin up chaps and it'll all work out if you just believe' _Negi Springfield_ was silent, head bowed over his plate as he ate, barely daring a glance up at his companions.

But Asuna couldn't do that. She couldn't just sit there and be quiet and pretend she wasn't upset about it, about Konoka's dad, about _everything_. This whole situation was so damn wrong.

It had made Asuna feel _happy_, to see them like that; happy to know that her friend was happy, that the aching sadness that had shadowed Konoka's features for those first years of their friendship had finally melted away in the face of Setsuna's determination to keep her safe and whole, no matter the cost, no matter what it took. Asuna had never seen _anyone_ love the way Setsuna loved Konoka, and to think that something so bright and beautiful might be thrown away, just tossed aside and forgotten, to think that something could happen that would make sure Konoka never smiled again…

It made her feel _sick_. And angry. _So angry_, like bees buzzing in her skull and making the world filter red around the edges, and that Setsuna _wasn't_ just taking the injustice that had been handed to her, was actually standing up for herself and _fighting_ for what she wanted and would probably (no she shouldn't think that but still) _die_ tomorrow because of it just made everything worse and worse.

So when the swordswoman, her coolly calm and impassive façade firmly in place, asked politely if someone would please pass the soy sauce, Asuna finally lost it, grabbing the bottle and slamming it down hard enough against the tabletop that the glass cracked and sticky dark liquid oozed over the tablecloth.

But before she could speak, before she could let the sick, hot anger at the whole situation spill out of her mouth in a roar of sound and obscenities, Setsuna had merely lifted her head and smiled -actually _smiled!_ How could she smile at a time like this?- and shaking her head, leant forward to prise the bottle from her trembling hand.

"It's going to be okay. I'm not going to die, Asuna; it's not like I don't know what I'm doing."

_That's a lie, a stinking _lie_, because you're fighting Eishun and he's the fucking master of the shinmeiryuu and you're just his student and you're sleeping with his daughter and he probably hates you so it's not like he's going to hold back and you don't stand a chance and tomorrow you're gonna- you're gonna-!_

_You're _my_ friend too, and you're going to DIE and I can't stand it-!_

"It's going to be okay," repeated Setsuna softly, and it was all Asuna could do to blink back tears and swallow down something like a sob as cool fingers closed over her hand, callused and strong but still so dainty, easing the tight clench of her fist and flattening her hand against the table.

"Aren't you scared?" That choked, tight voice couldn't be hers, surely. Because she didn't sound like that, _of_ _course_ she didn't; everyone knew Asuna was brassy and ballsy and not afraid of anything, and she certainly didn't sound like a frightened little girl.

"Yes. I'd be stupid if I wasn't." Setsuna smiled again, and this time she was looking at Konoka, whose eyes were dark and shiny with tears, pressing her hand to her mouth and whispering _Set-chan_ between trembling fingers. "But just because I'm scared doesn't mean I'm going to give up. Some things… some things you _have_ to do; before you can be happy, before you can move on with your life and go forward. And I'm not going to let people tell me what I can and can't do anymore."

"Oh, _Set-chan_…" Konoka sniffled, tears threatening to spill over- but she blinked them back, scrubbed at her eyes for a moment, and when the brunette finally lifted her gaze to her lover, hope glimmered in soft brown.

There was gentle clink of metal against china as Negi laid down his fork, and the young teacher's face was pale and pinched but somehow resolute, a spark in his eyes that Asuna only saw when he was angry at something and determined to make it better. "I am not happy with this situation, Setsuna-san; as your teacher, I disapprove of this decision to enter into something akin to mortal combat in an attempt to defy the rules that have been laid upon you by your elders- but as your friend, I say _go for it_," and here Negi's face changed, a fierce kind of grin tugging at his mouth, brown eyes glittering with enthusiasm.

"_I believe in you_ and I _know_ you're going to win!" Smacking a small fist into his palm, the boy teacher leant forward, glasses crooked on the bridge of his nose and wobbling unsteadily as he nodded energetically. "You've _changed_ since you joined my class, Setsuna-san, changed and for the better; Eishun has no idea of the brave, brilliant young woman you've become, and, and if he doesn't like it- well, then I say he can go and stick it up his _jumper!"_

Those were strong words from the boy teacher, and even Asuna felt something like laughter twitch at her mouth at the determination on his face; there was something blackly comical about the whole situation, after all, and a threat to stick his opinion up his jumper probably wasn't going to make much of a difference to a master swordsman. But Setsuna was taking him seriously nonetheless, inclining her head in a short bow. "Thank you, Negi-sensei. Your support means a lot to me."

Setsuna laid down her chopsticks and leant back a bit in her seat, turning to face the clock that ticked away in the corner of the kitchen. "It's getting late," she murmured. "I need to be in bed soon. I have to be awake early tomorrow, because… _well_." Even seated her shoulders were stiff, posture tight, and something in the cast of her features made Asuna think of a soldier going to war.

_That's not too far off the mark. Gods, Setsuna, you better not die tomorrow._

Not that she thought Eishun would be going out of his way to actually kill his once-student; Konoka's father wasn't that kind of man, he just _couldn't_ be… but then, she'd heard what had happened from Konoka herself, tearful and trembling when she and her bodyguard had made it back to their dorm room, and she'd _never_ seen the brunette so scared before.

And it wasn't like Konoka didn't have reason to be. As talented as Setsuna was -and she _was_, terrifyingly so; the girl was _dangerous_ once she got her hands on a blade- she was _not_ the captain of the shinmeiryuu. There was no question that, between the two of them, the swordswoman's abilities were the lesser- and even if by the grace of some god Eishun wouldn't be fighting to kill tomorrow, he would be fighting with every skill he possessed, and a considerable amount of force.

And that wasn't even touching on the whole issue that the man Setsuna was due to fight tomorrow was Konoka's _father_; gods, it was no wonder the girl was upset.

But while the redhead was caught between that thought and the next, Setsuna had obviously made her decision that it was time to leave, because she pushed her seat back with a _sqreek_ of wood across linoleum and stood in one smooth motion. "Thank you for dinner. I should get going."

"Oh, Set-chan, you don't have to go- you could stay here tonight." Konoka's voice was soft and quietly desperate; she reached out a hand and made to stand up as Setsuna walked past.

"No, Kono-chan. I don't think I can." Taking the offered hand, the swordswoman looked down at their twined fingers. "I need to be alone for a little while. But I won't leave for the dojo without saying… good morning," she finished lamely, everyone in the room hearing the unsaid 'goodbye'.

"But-"

"I'm sorry. Goodnight, Kono-chan." Gently, sweetly, Setsuna leant forward and brushed a kiss against Konoka's cheek, and the sadness in the gesture made something knot in Asuna's chest. Slipping her hand free from Konoka's grasp, the young woman straightened and headed for the door, head high and posture stiff… and no one noticed how badly her hands were shaking.

* * *

The slow slide of whetstone against steel filled the room with a soft rasp of sound, rhythmic and sibilant, echoing the pattern of the sole occupant's steady breathing with each stroke across the blade. Setting down the stone, placing it upon a mat set aside for that purpose, Eishun lifted his blade with calloused, scarred hands, his long fingers brushing across the mirrored pattern that rippled through steel, and inspected the clean lines of his sword for any damage sustained in the brief skirmish against his errant student earlier that day with a practiced eye.

Finding no flaws along the blade's edge, the captain of the shinmeiryuu and acting elder of the Kansai Magic Association laid his sword to rest before him, sharp edge of the blade curving inwards towards him as he knelt _seiza_ upon the living room rug. The small apartment attached to the main teaching building was no dojo to be sure, but it suited his purposes while he was visiting Mahora, and he was never on campus long enough for the bare walls and Spartan decorations to bother him.

Taking a moment to centre his breathing, Eishun closed his eyes and cleared his mind, the steady throb of his own pulse a calming rhythm that echoed in the hollow of his chest. Intent on the meter of his heartbeat, the swordsman let himself drift as all external influence faded from his thoughts: the repetitive _drip drip drip_ of water from the ensuite tap, the gentle scrape of branches against the wooden shutters as the evening breeze swept the trees that shadowed his window, the slow _sqreek_ of floorboards as slippered feet moved all but silently across the creaking timbers of the entrance alcove…

_I didn't hear the door open._

"If you wanted to speak with me you had every chance to do so at dinner."

"It is very difficult to speak with a man when he will not maintain eye contact with you, Eishun." Konoemon's steps stilled as they reached the edge of the rug, and it was the sound of his robes shifting with a rustle of cloth as the elder shook his head, earrings jangling, that spoke of his displeasure more than the measured tone of his voice. "I dare say I have sat through a more uncomfortable evening meal than the one just passed in all the years of my long and eventful life… but I'm finding it very hard to think of an example right at this moment."

"I was never much of a conversationalist." Eishun opened his eyes slowly as his father in law circled the rug, coming to stand before him within the space of one heartbeat and the next; advanced in years as he was, Konoemon could move with considerable speed when the mood took him. "But you knew that when I married your daughter."

"There were many things I _thought_ I knew about you."

_Ah. I didn't think you'd let this go so easily, and I was right._

Ignoring the steady burn of the elder's gaze upon him, the swordsman reached for his scabbard and laid it across his knees, taking his sword up and sliding it home into wood and lacquer in the next moment. "If you have something to say, then speak." Straightening himself, Eishun stood in one fluid movement, sheathed sword in hand. "I would not keep you from your rest any longer than necessary, Father- you'll need to be up early tomorrow to witness the duel."

Konoemon's face, marked by time and hardship, tightened with disapproval. "If you go through with this-"

Eishun cut him off with a swift shake of his head. "She challenged me. Under the constraints of Shinmeiryuu law I cannot refuse."

"This is _murder!_" The elder's voice lashed out, each word as sharp and shocking as the crack of a whip. "Murder! As sure as you struck the child's head from her shoulders yourself-! I know you are, are _upset_ with the situation-"

"Upset? _Hah!_" spat Eishun, unable to stop the sudden flash of bitterness in his voice, hands tightening reflexively upon the hilt of his sword. "Upset is not the word for how I find myself, Father!"

"-but you cannot think that _this_ is the way to answer it!" Determined even in the face of the fury that flashed in the swordsman's eyes, more so because of it, Konoemon gestured with one wrinkled hand, brow creased and worn with anger. "I simply cannot stand by and watch you use your wounded honour as an excuse to slaughter your student in cold blood; so help me, son-in-law, but if you raise your blade against that girl on the morrow, I will-"

"-do _nothing_, Konoemon, just as you did nothing to prevent the circumstances that lead to my daughter falling pregnant!" Breathing harshly, all of his hard-fought calm shattered, Konoe Eishun took one heavy step forward, the sudden thump of his footfall on carpet loud enough to startle the headmaster into stillness. "Konoka is eighteen! _Eighteen!_ She should be thinking about her exams, about university, about her future and her dreams and what's she's going to cook for dinner tomorrow night and that new TV show she saw last week and all of the millions of stupid things girls her age should be worrying about, _not about the child that Setsuna got on her!"_

Slicing his hand through the air sharply, voice still ringing in the sudden silence, Eishun spun on the spot and crossed to the dining table to lay his sword upon the rack standing on the polished surface. Slowly, shoulders strung taut with anxiety, he lifted a shaking hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I, I was calm before you came in," he whispered. "It was all so clear in my mind, what I had to do." The dim light from the living room lamp flashed over his glasses as the swordsman turned. "Don't you see? This isn't what I planned for her, isn't what her life should be. I never wanted her involved in magic, even if it is in her blood, and for something like this… she's my _daughter_," and with that last word a choked, bitten-off plea hidden in his voice, "and I just want her to be safe."

Lowering his head a little, Eishun let some of the fear and pain he'd been battling since his world had rocked on its axis earlier that day bleed through his words. "Setsuna… was supposed to protect her, supposed to be where I could not and help to guard Konoka from the dangers just being born to our world brings her. She swore to me, swore as my vassal, taking the most sacred oath that a swordsman of the shinmeiryuu can, that she would do everything in her power to keep and protect my daughter- and she has _failed_."

"Eishun," began Konoemon, the tension in his stooped shoulders melting away, "I don't think-"

"_No_. I will not have you make excuses for her actions, Father," said the swordsman softly, lowering his hand to trace his fingertips over the polished surface of the table. "Setsuna has put Konoka in danger, so many times and in so many ways, just by being with her- by being more than the guard she was sworn to be. If she had just kept her distance, remained as detached as she was supposed to, then I do not think that they would have formed a pactio contract- and would not have become… _well_," came the mumble, Eishun unable to stop the catch in his voice at the thought of his daughter -his little girl!- involved like _that_ with someone. "And if she had not forgotten herself, she would not have taken Konoka into such danger."

Voice rising again, Eishun spun on the spot, snapping one arm out to the side in a vicious, cutting gesture. "There is something _coming_, Konoemon; there are forces moving against us, as they have been for years, and of late they have only begun to move faster! That demon incursion a few months back, when the wards were down and for all of a minute Mahora was vulnerable- you can't tell me that was a coincidence! _And my daughter was in the thick of it_," hissed the swordsman, the glare of the lamplight splintering across the lenses of his glasses. "On a date. A _date!_ My daughter was attacked by monsters, surrounded, outnumbered and chased into the woods by a horde of them, and all because Setsuna broke the seal that held back her demon and took her out to dinner on the night the wards fell!"

"Her seal was splintering of its own accord, Eishun," said Konoemon mildly, steepling his long fingers to peer over the top of them at his enraged son-in-law. "She is a half-demon and a particularly powerful one at that; even the strongest seals that the shinmeiryuu could bring to bear wouldn't last forever. Especially not once she hit puberty- you can't bottle lightning, Eishun, and a hanyou whose mating cycle has been triggered is much the same thing."

"_I don't care!"_ snapped the swordsman. "Because she could not control herself, because she let her feelings get the better of her, _Konoka almost died!_"

"But she did not," said Konoemon, voice ringing in the sudden silence that echoed from Eishun's shout. "Setsuna faced overwhelming odds and made an incredible sacrifice to keep the one she loved safe that night, Eishun. If anyone almost died, it was _her_. She was not responsible for the attack against Mahora, nor for the hordes that spilled over the barriers; she is not to blame for the demons that were summoned and sent to slip in past the broken wards. She _is_, however, responsible for laying her life on the line to keep Konoka safe."

Harsh voice softening again, Konoemon shook his head slowly. "I admit that my faith in her as Konoka's pactio partner meant that I allowed them both to be placed in a situation that could have ended badly, but I took that risk for the sake of proving something, and I am sorry for that. I know what it is like to fear that one's only child will die before one is ready to let them go," and Eishun could do nothing but flinch at the old, worn pain that leaked into the elder's words. "Tatsumiya-san was standing by to lend her assistance should it have been required, and both myself and Evangeline watched over the battle that night- and none of us were needed. You did not see it, Eishun; you did not see what that young woman became under the influence of Konoka's magic- I have never seen anything so terrible and so beautiful."

Eishun was silent for a long while, and when he finally spoke there was something a little like sadness in his tone. "No. I will not let you sway me on this. She must accept the consequences for her actions, and I will hold her to the vows she broke. She was supposed to uphold them to guard my daughter, and nothing else-"

"And instead she fell in love."

Eishun stiffened as Konoemon spoke, each word dropping softly into the roaring silence that rang in his ears.

"Setsuna is many things, Eishun; she is kind and she is brave and she is strong and honourable- and she is very, _very_ in love with your daughter. And because she is human," and here Konoemon lifted his hand with surprising swiftness, forestalling the obligatory protest as his son-in-law opened his mouth to speak, "among other things, _yes_, but demons love like humans do when they are given the chance, as well you know it- she is as prone to error as all of us were when we were young and in love."

Konoemon smiled then, his expression terribly kind. "As _you_ were when you were young and in love. And guarding _my_ daughter."

"That was different," said Eishun weakly. "I was a contender for marriage from the very start, as well you know; in fact, as I recall, that was the reason you accepted my oath in the first place- because you knew that if I was given the chance to protect her, to come to know her for the person she was, that what had started as friendship and duty could very well become something more-" Eishun cut himself off with a snap, clenching his jaw at the expectant look on the elder's face; Konoemon just smiled, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"There's a reason I ensured that Konoka's bodyguard was _female_, Father," protested the swordsman.

"I'd say that backfired rather spectacularly, wouldn't you?" Konoemon chuckled even as a dull flush snaked up Eishun's neck. "From what I hear, Konoka's been a lady-killer since she was a toddler, if all that hubbub with her flipping the maid's skirts back at the Kyoto compound was anything to go by."

"They were miko, and she used to pull on the ties to their hakama," mumbled Eishun, face red with embarrassment. "And she grew out of that phase!"

"Around about the time you took in one orphaned hanyou, I should think." Konoemon winked. "You can't honestly tell me you were surprised when she told you she loved women, Eishun, surely- the signs have been there for _years_."

"And yet you were trying to marry her off from the time she was fourteen!"

Konoemon waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, please. As I recall, _you_ were the one who insisted she needed a partner at such a young age- I only planned those o-miai because you asked for them."

"And it would have worked if you had been more insistent!"

"Unlikely. You have to accept that Konoka's heart belongs to Setsuna and has done so for a very long time, possibly before either girl even knew what it meant to love someone." The warm glow in Konoemon's eyes faded, something sombre coming to rest in the line of his mouth. "I am not one to throw words like 'destiny' around lightly, Eishun, but you know as well as I do there was a reason your young apprentice was born a white crow."

A shadow passed over the swordsman's face, sorrow darkening his features. "That doesn't matter. When I defeat Setsuna tomorrow, she will have no choice but to leave Mahora."

"And what if the girl wins?" asked the elder softly.

"She won't. As Captain of the Shinmeiryuu and acting Elder of the Kansai Magic Association, I won't let her." Closing his eyes, the swordsman turned his face away. "I _can't_ let her." A moment of silence passed, hanging heavy on the swordsman's shoulders, strain threading lean through arms as his hands clenched and unclenched in something like grief. "Leave me, Father. I have to prepare for tomorrow."

"As you wish." Konoemon nodded as the Eishun bowed, the gesture smooth and polished by repetition, and departed the room with the same sudden stealth he had used to enter it.

_I hope for Konoka's sake -and the sake of my unborn great-grandchild- you're wrong, Eishun. I truly do._

* * *

The small apartment was dark and still, a soft circle of warmth from the kitchen light the only illumination. Hair still wet from the shower, the young woman walked calmly across her kitchenette floor towards the wooden table, heedless of the soft patter of water droplets that echoed her quiet footsteps. Fetching herself a pen, an envelope and a piece of paper -blank, unmarked and utterly ordinary in every way- from the small stationary organiser on her bench, she pulled out a chair, sat down, and began to write.

Time passed; the clock set high on the wall above her small refrigerator ticked softly into the near-silence, the gentle _scritch_ of pen across paper the only other sound, and a moist circle spread slowly across her simple cotton shirt from where her hair curled in damp locks across her shoulders. Occasionally the girl paused, if considering something, the tip of her pen stilled mere millimetres from the blank surface; but after a few moments it would press down firmly once more and lines of neat, pristine characters began to fill the page.

Once or twice a bead of water dropped softly onto paper.

When the final sentence was written -with a firm and heavy hand, pressing dark lines into the white page as though to score those last few words into the table beneath- she signed her name carefully in the bottom left corner and laid down her pen, reaching for the envelope, fully aware of the soft _click-click-sqreek_ of her locked door being picked and opened with professional care in the darkness behind her.

"I'm sure Mana could have leant you her key." Setsuna sighed, her back still to her uninvited guest, and folded the paper sheet in her hands with careful precision. "Besides, I thought you were on patrol near the shrine tonight, Kaede."

The ninja chuckled, her smoky voice curling from the shadows of the lounge room. "This one has found the shrine well-protected tonight, de gozaru. What use is a humble shinobi from the mountains to the collected forces of the Shinmeiryuu?" A long shadow pooling against the wall flowed southwards and Kaede faded into view as she stepped into the light that edged along the seam where carpet met linoleum. She smiled, but dark eyes were glittering and cool, and her amused tone had a sharp edge. "That is assuming that our dear commander does not send them fleeing once their new wards are settled, of course. This one has seen cats caught in rainstorms that were more agreeable than Mana-dono with a shrine full of strangers."

In spite of herself, Setsuna choked back a laugh, but the quick flash of amusement died out as quickly as it came; when it passed the young woman's face was as sombre as ever, and as she eased the folded paper into its waiting envelope and smoothed down the flap to seal it shut the kunoichi's sly smile faded into an concerned expression. "Setsuna-dono… it is not this one's place to pass comment on your actions, but… writing your last will and testament the night before battle is not a sign to inspire confidence in even your most staunch supporters." Heavy-lidded eyes lost their lazy gleam and turned gentle and worried, but the weight of that gaze was still a pressure between the half-demon's shoulder-blades.

"It's not my will, Kaede," said Setsuna softly, her pen skating quickly across the front of the envelope, sketching out the characters of the most important name she knew with fluid familiarity. "I have very few possessions, and if I die tomorrow, everything that matters will go to Konoka anyway." She didn't ask how the ninja knew. Rumour of her challenge was probably making the rounds of the magic association members by now, and preparations for the duelling grounds had already been in progress when she'd left to take Konoka home; it was no stretch to imagine the news reaching the ears of Mahora's Security Patrol. No doubt the gossip was already starting, and it was only a matter of time before the whole school knew that Konoka's girlfriend had challenged her father to a duel, even if they didn't know the reason _why_-

"This letter… is for Konoka-dono also?" The ninja's delicate query snapped her from her thoughts, and Setsuna sighed and capped her pen, tossing it carelessly on the table.

"If… if I should die tomorrow," began Setsuna and then stopped, words catching in her throat. She didn't know what to say next. The swordswoman wanted to stand, wanted to push back her chair and face the young woman behind her, face her _fears_- because she _was_ afraid, and as soon as she thought it, the cold reality of this whole situation started to sink in with a stunning swiftness that all but took her breath away.

_Oh, Konoka. What have I done? What am I doing?_

Swallowing heavily, Setsuna managed to push down the dread coiling like some icy serpent in her belly, and turned to the shadowy figure in her kitchen- but as soon as she faced Kaede she felt herself start to crumple, and forced it back even as the taller woman drew closer.

She couldn't doubt herself. Not even a little. Because at the back of her mind, she was terrified, and it was taking everything she had to keep that part of her taking her over. It was one thing to be brave when you stared down the blade of an enemy with the woman you loved behind you, knowing that you had _no_ _choice_ but to be brave and brilliant and keep her safe -so you _were_, without even stopping to think about it- but it was something else entirely to face those same fears alone in a darkened room with someone you knew watching your calm façade crack.

_No. I won't break. I _can't_ break. Not now, not like this-_

"Setsuna-dono?"

Setsuna knew her hands were shaking, but she couldn't steady them, and as though that small gesture was the first, gentle snowfall before an avalanche, cold and fear crashed down on her in a bone-chilling rush. Her stomach knotted, tight and hurting as uncertainty cramped in her belly and doubt flashed through her in a bitter tide; beneath the thin layer of chi that held her human form she felt her wings rustle urgently, pushing, _pushing_, the need to flee almost irresistible, and her hands, _her hands_, she couldn't stop them _shaking_-

"Setsuna-dono!"

Kaede's voice, merciful and soft but no less affecting, cracked across her thoughts like the lash of a whip, like the crash of ice-water in her face; the shock of it made her blink and gasp, air rushing into her lungs for the first time since panic had threatened to overtake her.

"Setsuna-dono… what faces you tomorrow is not something one that this one can understand." Dragging her gaze upwards from her still-trembling hands, Setsuna forced herself to look her classmate and fellow security patrol member in the eye, and what she saw nearly stunned the breath out of her once more. "This one is not the best at reassurance," continued Kaede hesitantly, standing awkwardly at the boundary of her kitchen flooring, "and this one- and _I_ am not entirely sure what I can do to help. This battle is between you and Konoka-dono's father, and though I do not know why the two of you are to fight at dawn, I know that the battle lines are drawn and cannot be undone. Setsuna-dono… I have always considered you a companion and a comrade, but I also think of you as a friend. And to know that a friend, to know that someone I care for is due to meet her destiny in a way that I cannot aide her… it is a bitter truth to swallow."

Kaede, kind eyes miserable, shook her head fiercely- and before Setsuna could open her mouth to say anything, the ninja straightened, her bowed shoulders drawing straight, the cloak of shadows that clung to her slender form fading away to leave her tall and proud in the dim glow that came from the kitchen light. Her eyes, dark slits in her young face, glittered with determination, the sadness gripping her melting into a kind of faith that left the swordswoman speechless.

"But I believe in _you_, Setsuna-dono. I know that though the trial that you face is a difficult one, you _will_ overcome it. I know this, and _Konoka-dono knows this_- and all of us here who keep Mahora's borders safe know it too." Taking a few steps forward, Kaede reached out a hand and laid it warm and solid on Setsuna's slender shoulder. "I know that this fear that holds you will pass, and that tomorrow, you will succeed. But if you do not… know that Konoka-dono will not be alone and unprotected." Long fingers, calloused and worn and as strong as her own, pressed firmly into the curve of her shoulder, and the swordswoman jerked bodily, lifting her head to stare upwards in shock.

_Kaede…_

"We will watch over her," said Kaede softly, before she could protest, and though her tone was gentle it brooked no argument. "Protecting Konoka-dono is and always will be one of the duties of the security patrol, and if tomorrow you should fall, then we will be there to keep her safe."

_Konoka. She won't… if I die, she won't be alone._

A warm smile worked its way across the kunoichi's features then, softening the hardness from her clenched jaw and bringing her expression back to the cheeky ninja Setsuna was familiar with. "Of course, this one does not think that such reassurance is necessary. After all, Setsuna-dono will not lose tomorrow." Kaede let her hands fall from the swordswoman's shoulders, and cocked her head gently to the side. "Of that this one is certain."

And just as quick as panic had nearly overtaken her, confidence bloomed in its place, a warm glow in her belly that chased the lingering chill from her bones. Because she could do this, there was no questioning it -not now, not with the faith everyone had in her and surely all she needed was some of that faith in herself- but if she _couldn't_, then Konoka would be safe, and her failure would only be upon herself.

_Yes. If I die tomorrow, it'll only be the end for me. Kono-chan will be okay- our _child_ will be okay, and that's enough for me._

Turning away, the ninja raked her eyes over the clock ticking gently on the kitchen wall. "It is very late, Setsuna-dono. This one should leave you to your rest." There was still something worried in dark eyes, but when Setsuna managed to smile at her -a small, sad little smile, but a smile none the less- Kaede let herself grin back. "Sleep well, Setsuna-dono, and this one hopes you dream of victory, de gozaru yo."

When Kaede left she took some of her warmth with her, and though Setsuna had lived in this room for years, slept and ate and studied here -and other things, her Kono-chan asleep in her bed, curled in her blankets, dark hair spilling over her pillow, the memory sending a pleasant shiver through her- it felt suddenly empty, and for a moment she felt something like loneliness…

"No," said Setsuna suddenly, shaking her head to banish her fears. "No. _No._ I will not go back there. I will fight tomorrow and I, _I will win_."

Her soft voice didn't echo off the walls, or ring with the sound of clashing steel; there was nothing particularly amazing about the words themselves, nothing extraordinary about the way she said them. But the meaning in them, the quiet, trembling resolve in that one, simple statement matched the sharp gleam of determination in the swordswoman's eyes.

"I will win," repeated Setsuna to the empty room, to the handwritten letter resting on the table, eyes closed and her delicate hands clenched into fists. "I _must_."

_I have no choice._

* * *

Dawn light blushed the floorboards with a rosy glow, chasing the last shadows of blue twilight from the dojo. It was too early for birdsong; the air was still and terribly calm, the temperature cool for the moment but with the promise of heat building in the sunlight that oozed over the mountain panorama in the distance.

The low buildings of the martial arts complex seemed tranquil this time of morning; no students lapped the wooden walls, no kiai pierced the long halls and no clatter of shinai or bokken rang through the still air. In the distance, the dull _sshhh-klonk!_ of a bamboo water fountain could be heard, echoing shockingly loud across the quiet grounds. The dojo and the slow, early-morning hush surrounding it was, in a word, peaceful.

But for Asuna, the air might as well have rung with the sombre tones of the funeral march.

Teeth gritted, she let her head tip back against the wood of the door she was leaning against, the brass handle digging into her spine as she rested against the closed and bolted entrance of Mahora Academy's private Shinmeiruu dojo. Beside her, Negi was a shorter albeit no less stern figure, his youthful face creased into a determined expression as he stood with arms folded, his suit jacket pulled tight across his narrow shoulders from the gesture.

Except they weren't so narrow, these days, her brat of a teacher not quite as short as she remembered; maybe Negi was finally catching up to his growth spurt…? Abruptly, the redhead shook herself in disgust, the heavy fall of her twin ponytails tumbling over her shoulders. Her friend was fighting for her life behind the door she was leaning against, and here she was musing about whether the shrimp had finally hit puberty! What the hell was _wrong_ with her?

…except it didn't sound like anyone was fighting yet, not really; she'd been to enough practice sessions with Setsuna, fought in enough battles by her side to know the sounds the swordswoman made when she was going into combat- and the low, muted murmuring and the muffled footsteps of tabi-clad feet across polished floorboards didn't sound like a fight. No, most likely they were still going through the preliminary ceremonies, whatever they were, the traditional, pre-duel rituals that the headmaster had forbidden them both from attending in his soft and solemn voice, something like apology in his eyes-

_Fat lot of good him feeling sorry is going to do for Konoka if her girlfriend dies today._

Snorting bitterly, Asuna shook her head again, bells jangling. Negi turned to look up at her, and his mouth was set in a thin line. "I don't like this any more than you do, Asuna, but I'm afraid to say that the headmaster is well within his rights to bar us from the dojo. When all is said and done, this is a… family matter, and you and I are not family." Negi swallowed, attempting to clear his throat and the sound was almost angry, a kind of bitterness creeping into his young voice even as he spoke. "You are their classmate, and I merely their teacher, and we are not, _not important_ enough to- oh, _bugger_ it, this is ridiculous!" A small fist smacked into an equally small palm, but the force behind it wasn't small by any means, and there was fire in Negi's eyes as her teacher turned to her.

"Asuna, you and I are _not_ going to wait out here for this battle to be over without us! We have as much right as anyone to be in that dojo, supporting Setsuna-san and Konoka-san both! In _fact_," added Negi determinedly, gesturing wildly with arms outspread, "we're going to bust open these doors, march right in there and give them all a piece of our minds! Setsuna-san may have to fight, but _by_ _god_ she isn't going to fight alone!" Spinning on the spot, the boy mage grabbed onto the large brass handles adoring the thick wooden doors, a fierce look on his face. "These doors are magically sealed, but if we hit them hard enough we should be able to break them down!"

Before Asuna could open her mouth to respond, a cold shadow fell upon the dojo gate, bringing goosebumps to her skin and blocking out the early morning sunshine. A low, silky voice suddenly spoke, seeming to come from everywhere at once, and sent a chill rippling down her spine. "In that case, boya_, get out of my way._"

"Negi," gasped the schoolgirl, her breath fogging from her mouth in clouds of white steam as the temperature around them dropped shockingly fast, frost crackling beneath her feet and spreading in glittering patterns across the doors and wall of the dojo behind them, "get _down!_"

_**FWOOOM-!**_

The redhead dove for her young teacher, knocking him off his feet and him to the ground in a leaping tackle as the ice crusting the wood-and-metal frame of the doorway and the stone wall of the dojo exploded into a shower of frozen, glacial pillars; a glittering fall of snow and frost rained down on them both as Asuna rolled, Negi's smaller frame tucked into her body as she tumbled across the ground, and the grating sound of splintering cedar and screaming brass followed them across the floor.

Her ears were ringing, her chest burning as the air turned cold and cut into her lungs with every breath, and she was fairly sure there was blood dripping down her face from a cut on her forehead, but Asuna raised her head all the same -slowly, painfully, shoulders protesting as she did so- and stared at the slender figure walking delicately through wreathing clouds of frost and fog, long blonde hair whipping about her body in frenzied skeins as the chill wind rising from her glacial magic set it to billowing out behind her.

_Evangeline._

Pale, bare feet marched inches past her head, the diminutive vamp stalking imperiously past without a single downward glance at the schoolgirl crouched over her young teacher, and lifted one slim arm to flick delicate fingers almost lazily in the direction of the steaming doors; thin fingers snapped once, and the last few shreds of the ruined gates blew outwards with an almighty _fwoooshh_ and a sudden gust of freezing wind, scattering a storm of splinters across the ground in the rush of it and gusting great clouds of dust and frost into the air.

From inside the dojo, the schoolgirl could hear voices, raised and shouting and incredulous- but if Evangeline heard them she didn't _care_, her face as cold and inhuman as Asuna had ever seen it. Beneath her, Negi wriggled urgently, trying to get free of her grip, and as she rolled aside to let him up, the boy teacher scrambled to his feet. "Master! Master, _what on earth is going on?_"

"Shut up," snapped the vampire, finally condescending to look their way. "I'm busy," she continued, green eyes flashing and her voice tinkling with frost, "and I don't have the time to deal with your stupidity today." Before Asuna could even open her mouth to shoot back a retort, the undead mage strode forth into the billowing fog and disappeared through the hole she'd blown in the dojo walls.

The boy teacher, still stunned and gaping, abruptly shook his head, and snapped himself out of his dazed stupor. "Oh no, here, Asuna- let me help you," said Negi, grabbing onto her hand and helping to haul her upright as she struggled to her feet. "Ah, you're _bleeding_…"

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled, wiping away the bloody streak from her forehead with one hand and smearing it on her jeans. "'s just a cut. I'm more worried about what Eva-chan's gonna do to the people inside- did you see the look on her face? I don't think I've seen her so pissed."

"Please forgive my master for her rudeness, Asuna-san. Once she heard what was happening at the dojo this morning, she felt speed was of the essence," said a soft voice behind them, and Asuna flinched and whipped about on the spot, slapping Negi in the face with one of her ponytails as she spun, her jaw dropping open. Walking down the path to the dojo, the sunlight shining warm on the long fall of her sea-green hair as it spilt down her back, was _Chachamaru-_ unmarked and unharmed and utterly whole once more_. _As the gynoid drew closer to them, stepping daintily over the slick icy patches scattered over the pavement, the twin-tailed schoolgirl couldn't hide her shock.

"Chacha-? You're- you're alright!" the last time Asuna had seen the robot, she'd been all but falling apart, leaking oil like a busted tanker and scorched all over from the backlash of Evangeline's magic, and yet here she was, good as new, shiny and bright in the morning sunlight and the stray, glittering wisps of icy fog.

"Master commissioned a new body for me once it was established that my previous one had suffered irreparable damage to its casing and core systems," said Chachamaru, her voice as coolly synthetic as always. "The upgrade and subsequent transferral of systems, files and programs took longer than expected, due to the presence of glitches. Happily, these problems have been restored and I am once more functioning at full capability." The echoes of her A. I. program flickered in her bright eyes, a shimmering haze that was difficult to look at. "However, while we are standing exchanging pleasantries, I fear that Master has taken it upon herself to interrupt the duel between Sakurazaki-san and Konoe-san." A sudden, rippling scream broke the crackling silence, and Chachamaru turned, looking straight through the shattered dojo walls. "Ah. Master has entered the dojo proper. Perhaps we should hurry, before she hurts someone." The gynoid paused. "Again."

Asuna gaped. "She knows about the duel? But, but you and Eva have been all locked up in that resort of hers- no one's seen either of you for weeks! And we only found out last night! How the _hell-_?"

Chachamaru titled her head gently to the side as she drew closer to the dojo wall, pleasant features mildly puzzled. "But of course Master knew about the duel, Asuna-san. She is Sakurazaki-san's second, after all." The gynoid took one step through the mist-choked opening, her hair blowing gently in the rush of magic-laced air that still swirled around broken stone and cracked wood, and her voice was mildly disapproving as she stepped through it. "She was very disappointed that you didn't inform her that it would be happening so immediately, and when Master is disappointed… I am sure you understand." Soft green hair whipped about her shoulders as she strode briskly through, disappearing from sight.

Asuna frowned. "I think… I think robot girl is angry with us," she mumbled, and wasn't at all surprised when Negi agreed with her.

"Come on, Asuna," he said, tugging on her arm. His young face was serious and worried. "We should follow," he finished, and together they stepped gingerly through the cracked hole in the wall, slippery with ice and broken rubble.

* * *

Apparently, Evangeline being _disappointed_ meant _in a murderous rage_, judging by the sight that met Asuna as she and Negi entered the dojo. Rubble crumbled beneath their feet as they slipped through the broken wall and onto the cracked and splintered floorboards, and Asuna coughed as a cloud of dust and icy fog swirled across the dojo floor and into her face. Someone in the background was moaning in pain- she could hear the shifting sounds and low murmur of voices as people went to help the injured, and when she ventured a "Hello…?" a familiar voice answered.

"Asuna?" Konoka's voice was thin and strained, and when the drifting fog cleared to show her face, her soft brown eyes and kind face were drawn tight with worry. "Asuna, what's going on? There was a noise and then Evangeline-" Konoka coughed, the rest of her sentence lost to the sound, and when she stumbled forward from the cloud of freezing dust, she almost tripped into Asuna's arms. "I want to find Set-chan," mumbled the young mage, smearing away what could have been tears from her eyes. "I can't- I can't see her."

"Hey," said the redhead softly. "I've got you." Pulling her friend into a protective one-armed hug, she waved Negi over, the three of them venturing across trembling floorboards, Konoka calling out her partner's name as they edged forward.

"Set-chan? Set-chan? Please, if you can hear me…" Her words trembled, something unhappy flitting briefly over her face- but then Konoka dragged in a staggering breath, wresting control of herself once more, and determination creased her brow. "Set-chan," she said again, and this time her voice was loud and strong. "Set-chan!"

"Kono-chan-! I," and the sound of Setsuna's voice was sudden and ringing in the dust-blown silence, the swordswoman still distant. "I… I'm here, Kono-chan."

Negi frowned. "This is ridiculous," he snapped. "I can't see a bloody thing!" Muttering under his breath, the young teacher raised one hand, and the sudden glow at his fingertips was barely a warning as a sharp gust of wind exploded into the clouded room, chasing away dust and fog and ice in a cool ripple of clean air- and exposed the occupants of the ruined dojo to the thin sunlight that streamed through the hole-riddled walls, among them one dark-haired and slight swordswoman.

"_Set-chan!"_

Only Asuna's arm around Konoka's shoulder stopped the young woman from racing towards her beloved- and with good reason too, Setsuna standing still and solemn with a shinmeiryuu blade held to her throat, flanked on either side by unsmiling swordsmen. The hanyou swallowed, the motion careful and hesitant against the razor-edged steel pressed beneath her chin. "Kono-chan. Stay where you are," she murmured, but even as she did so the blade at her throat dropped, the shinmeiryuu man holding her hostage jerking away in shock at the sight of the _other_ spectacle unveiled as the clouded air was whisked clean.

"The hell-? _Eishun-sama!_"

Asuna knew that Konoka's father, in spite of what was happening right now, was still a good man, a kind one, and someone who loved his daughter very much. She also knew that he would do anything to protect his daughter and while she couldn't understand what would make him so angry as to try and separate Konoka and the girl she loved because of something so stupid as a bunch of old traditions and laws, she did get that a little of what was behind his actions would have been fear. However, none of this understanding stopped her from feeling almost vindictively _satisfied_ at the sight of him sprawled flat on his back against the cracked and splintered floorboards with a vampire standing on his chest.

"_You coward_," hissed Evangeline, the words poison on her lips; small, dainty toes edged with scarlet nail polish pressed firmly against Eishun's throat, cartilage creaking and the swordsman sweating as he wrapped both hands about a slender ankle and tried to prise her off him but with no success. His katana lay unsheathed and discarded nearby, a curved arc of silvery steel against the wooden floorboards, out of reach and useless in the face of the vampire's attack. Evangeline's other foot, planted firmly on his chest, thumped against his breastbone as she shifted her weight backwards and dug her heel in.

"This is not how you duel honourably, Eishun." Green eyes spat sparks as dark pupils slitted dangerously and the floorboards below him creaked in protest as she forced him down. "I never thought I'd see the day when the captain of the shinmeiryuu resorted to _bullying_ to get his point across. How very… _human_ of you," Evangeline whispered, voice dripping with disgust.

The room was still, breathless, the scattered swordsmen and women of the shinmeiryuu watching the scene unfold with hard eyes and hands twitching towards their blades- but not a one made a move to help their leader, and none tried to confront the vampire in their midst. Asuna swallowed heavily, opening her mouth to say something, anything to break the tension- and nearly bit off her own tongue when Evangeline suddenly whipped around, those cutting eyes slashing across the room as though the vampire were searching for-

_Setsuna!_

The swordswoman didn't flinch, even as one delicate hand rose to point a slender finger squarely at her chest, scarlet fingernail curving like a talon beyond the tip of her dainty finger. "And _you_," said the diminutive mage kindly, and the deceptive pleasantness of her voice sent chills ripping down Asuna's spine.

"This isn't good," whispered Negi. "Master only uses her nice voice when she's plotting how to hurt you."

Ignoring the hushed chatter from the edge of the room, Evangeline smiled sweetly, the gentle curve of her mouth more terrifying than her cruellest sneer. "I am hurt, Setsuna. _Hurt_. And after you promised me I could be your second, too." Shaking her head, the vampire cast her gaze over the room's occupants, her eyes as cold and dark as her smile was warm. "You really think I didn't know this would happen? Oh, _children_. I predicted this right from the _start_." A brief frown creased her brow. "Okay, so I didn't think it would be _you_ that challenged _him_," she admitted after a moment of silence, pinning Setsuna beneath her gaze. "I'm… mildly impressed you actually had the balls do to that."

Beneath her, Eishun made a painful kind of sound, struggling where her toes pressed into the soft hollow of his chin, and Evangeline tutted, pressing her weight forward again and holding him down. "Uh-uh, Eishun. You're in quite a lot of trouble with me, right now. You're just lucky that I think it'll be more satisfying to watch the birdbrain cut you into ribbons than to do it myself." Her eyes narrowed. "After all, at least with your young apprentice you have a fighting chance. Me? I'd tear your head from your shoulders-"

"That's _enough_, Evangeline." Konoemon, pushing his way through the stunned ranks of shinmei warriors, sounded tired, his voice creaking with age in a way it normally wasn't. "While I do not approve of this situation, Setsuna did challenge and Eishun did accept. We cannot interfere in their duel."

"_Hmph_. I suppose that's why you're just watching from the sidelines, old man? Don't want to get your hands dirty?" Evangeline sneered, eyes flashing and lips peeling back from sharp teeth. Asuna swallowed nervously, and when Konoka grabbed her hand for support -the young woman still with her eyes fixed on her lover, standing still in a nest of blades across the other side of the room- she just squeezed back in what she hoped was a comforting manner. "_Cowards, all of you_," hissed the vampire, and darkness pooled in green eyes, bleeding black with power as her voice rose in temper. "I see no challenge here-"

"Master," cut in Chachamaru suddenly, her face impassive; her words startled them all and making Asuna jump. "I have received confirmation from the arena that preparations are complete." The gynoid had been lingering in the shadows of the dojo throughout the whole confrontation, and it seemed everyone had even forgotten she was there.

Evangeline blinked, taken off guard; the malice burning in her gaze faded as her servant's statement sunk in. "Already? That was fast," she mumbled, stepping off Eishun and onto the floorboards as though stepping over a puddle, completely ignoring the swordsman as she did so. "Well, I see no point dragging this on then…"

Drawing herself up to her diminutive height, the magus nosferatu seemed to draw the shadows of the room about herself like a cape, until her lacy dress fairly writhed with flickering, insubstantial wisps of dark magic. "Sakurazaki Setsuna," she snapped, and Setsuna nodded, stepping forward from the guarding ranks of the swordsmen around her. No one moved to stop her.

"As your duly nominated second, I hereby interrupt this farce. If you are going to duel today -and you will- you are at least going to do it properly." She sniffed imperiously, casting a disdainful gaze across the ruined dojo, the stony-faced shinmeiryuu and Eishun himself, the swordsman staggering to his feet, and then finally across Setsuna herself. "This is _not_ how you duel."

She raised one small hand, and snapped her dainty fingers with a delicate little _click_-

-and before Asuna could open her mouth to gasp or speak or even _breathe_, shadows boiled up beneath her feet -beneath all their feet, the occupants of the dojo all drawn into this same spell- and the air filled with a rushing, shuddering screech of bats. Beside her, Konoka screamed out, lunging forward even as the floorboards beneath her feet rippled, exploding into darkness- but Asuna grabbed tight at her wrist, pulling her back even as her friend called for her partner, struggling towards her in the syrupy blackness that washed about their small group. _"Set-chan!"_

"Stay with us, Konoka-san!" Negi, barely visible beneath the writhing shadows that poured over them all, grabbed for Asuna's other hand, and his fingers curled tightly about her own as the three of them were swallowed up in Evangeline's magic. "It's dangerous- a spell like this, you can't fight it!"

And they couldn't, not when the air turned dark and cold and crushing and there was only the high-pitched screeching of a thousand, million bats; everything Asuna could see was filled with darkness, and her heartbeat pounded in her ears as the ground dropped away beneath her feet, and dread filled her.

_Oh god. Oh god Eva. What are you even doing? I don't- I can't- what is happening-_

-and just like that, there was hard ground beneath her feet once more. Asuna staggered as the roaring darkness lifted and flickered out in one last rippling rush of shadow, leaving her gasping for air; she swayed, almost falling to her knees but for the hands gripping tight against her own. Dragging in a deep breath, she forced her steps to steady and looked up at the roof of the dojo-

-except there was no roof, and they weren't in the dojo any more.

"_And there you have it, ladies and gents- a spectacular entry brought to you by the Mahora Special FX Club and sponsored by McDowell-san of Class 6A! Look at that stunning display of CG, folks! It almost looks like it was real magic that whisked our challengers and their followers here into the middle of the tournament grounds!"_

Asakura's voice, loud and distorted over a speaker system that would rival any international-level sport stadium, rang out over the audience, over the arena itself making Asuna stop and stare as her whereabouts finally sank in. And she wasn't the only one, either; every single person caught in the web of Evangeline's spell -a transportation spell, she saw that now, the vampire's magic dragging them all from the ruined dojo grounds and into the sunlight, dropping them all into Mahora's tournament stadium, right in the middle of the stone-tiled battlegrounds- looked around in shock at the crowded stands, filled with shouting, cheering students waving banners and calling out in excitement.

"The bloody hell is going on…" whispered Negi, standing beside her; his pince-nez were crooked, his eyes wide behind the tiny lenses. "Master, what did you _do_?"

"_Now that everyone is here, there's nothing for it but for me to start the proceedings!" _

Asakura's voice boomed over them once more, and Asuna whipped around to see her classmate, larger than life on a jumbo projection screen, microphone in hand. "Konoka, look," she hissed, "that's newsgirl! I think this is being televised!"

But Konoka wasn't looking where she was pointing. The young woman's gaze was firmly fixed on Setsuna, her face turned towards the girl she loved and her dark eyes determined. Setsuna, too, was focused only on her ojou-sama, regardless of the shinmeiryuu warriors swarming the stage and Eishun standing stunned near Evangeline, still shocked by the sudden change of scenery.

"I told you," said the vamp softly, her blonde hair whipping in the breeze and her words carrying far further than they ought to. "That wasn't right."

"_Ladies and gentlemen, students and teachers, and all of our watchers on the live online broadcast- welcome to the duel of a century! I am Asakura Kazumi, your announcer, and I am here to bring you a showdown of the highest order- a fight for love!"_

The crowd roared.

"_Master versus apprentice! Age against youth, blade against blade! Konoe Eishun, master of the shinmeiryuu and father of our own Konoe Konoka, versus Sakurazaki Setsuna, student and beloved of Konoka herself, here today to duke it out for the right to be with the woman she loves! This is a matter of honour, to be settled only on the battlefield in a one on one fight! Who will win? The father seeking to defend his daughter's virtue, or her lover, trying to prove for once and for all her worth as a suitor! As soon as the spectators clear the stage, and our combatants take to their quarters to prepare, we'll get this show started!"_

"This," said Evangeline, spreading her arms wide, green eyes bright with satisfaction and no small amount of magic, "_this _is how you _duel!_"

* * *

**End Part Twelve**

* * *

**ENDNOTE: **This chapter was supposed to include the epic showdown, and I'm sorry that it doesn't and I'm sorry that it'll have to wait for the next chapter. Rest assured it is coming, and I have been trying my hardest to make it worth the really, really, _really_ long build-up.

This chapter is not edited, not really, so if you spot any mistakes please let me know; I'll try to fix them. I just haven't really been able to write anything for EB in such a long time, for a lot of reasons, some of them sad, and I wanted to give you all _something_ to read even if it wasn't very much at all and, in my personal opinion, not the best thing I have even written. Real life has been… hectic, these past months. I'm not at university anymore; I've graduated now and I work full time, and I've just been told I have to vacate my apartment. Luckily, we have a new rental property lined up, but I do have to move, and things are going to get busy. Busier. And to the fact that I am actually trying to write my first original novel, and I find myself rapidly running out of free time.

So please don't hold your breath for an update soon. (Well, I wouldn't think anyone who reads anything I write would considering how long it takes me, but still.) I'll do my best, and things should get easier now that I've finally gotten the chapter that I found the hardest to write out of the way, but it might take me quite a while.

As for Negima coming to an end recently… the end kind of broke my heart a little, and not just because it ended so soon- it hurt to see even the vaguest implication that Konoka and Setsuna might not have ended up together, even though personally consider they did; I know Akamatsu does what Akamatsu wants, and ultimately it is his story, but would it have killed him to say they married each other and confirm it for us once and all? Still. No matter what anyone says, that's what I believe, and that's why KonoSetsu will always be my OTP. No matter how many other pairings I ship, I still love this one, and even if I takes me years, I will finish this story.

(Maybe then I can get started on all those other AU ideas I've had rattling around in my brain…)

I've heard there was something of a crack-down on more adult fics recently, as well. To this end, I do have a AO3 account (a kind friend invited me) and if, for whatever reason, _Egg Belly_ is removed from this site, I'll repost there, so please don't worry about that happening.

Thank you all for your love, support, reviews and most of all, your patience. I'm sorry that I have disappointed you, but I'll try harder with the next chapter. It's the one I've been looking forward to since I first started this fic so long ago now, and it's something I've been planning for a very long time. I hope I can do my ideas justice with my words.

Reviews and faves are, as always, gratefully received- and feel free to PM me about any questions you might have; I aim to answer every single review or PM I get. (Please don't threaten me or send me creepy messages, though- I've had enough of those this year just gone, and it doesn't… make me feel very good. I'm least likely to write more when you do that, and I know most of you wouldn't, but I've been hurt a couple of times by a few messages like that and it makes me feel very small.)

Once again, thank you for reading, and for staying with this story for so long- it means so much to me that I have people who would want to read what I have written.

-Cloverfield


End file.
